


The Fatal Four

by ArishoksBride



Series: The Fatal Four [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Mentioning of cannon characters, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:57:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 64,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7176488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArishoksBride/pseuds/ArishoksBride
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the universe is in peril, and Commander Shepard is busy who are you going to call? The Fatal Four!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eden Prime

**Author's Note:**

> Here is what once was mere drabbles on paper and now so much more! I can't thank my long suffering beta's, Annon and SolRayne enough for having the patience to listen to me prattle on and on about this series, you're awesome!

# Chapter One, Eden Prime

Ava Masters peered through the starboard side of the small space shuttle she was in and raised a perfectly defined, unimpressed eyebrow. She watched in obvious disinterest as the spacecraft slowly panned around the atmosphere of the lush, richly agrarian planet of Eden Prime. Thousands of kilometers below was a private research lab and her next job. 

Ava exhaled loudly as she checked the scope sights on her M9-Tempest and a few seconds later on its twin. This was going to be another boring assignment, she mused. A quick, simple job that likely enriched a fat, corrupt politician back on the Citadel. But her job, she reminded herself as she buckled her restraints, was not to care about where her work originated from, only that it ultimately benefited her.

The red light above her seat began flashing in a two-tone pattern, indicating that the spacecraft was preparing to descend. Ava relaxed back into the leather seats and closed her eyes. She had traveled extensively around the Milky Way and the surrounding systems, resolving her unperturbed as the impact of the ship's force and velocity collided with the planet's own atmosphere, causing the ship to groan and lurch forward in protest. Ava merely rolled her eyes, she'd had smoother landings. 

Before the landing gear had been unfolded, the lithe woman rose from her seat and grabbed the caramel duffel bag in the holding tray above her seat. She ignored the AI over the intercom insisting she stay put until it was safe to move about. “Bite me,” was the woman's response, watching as the lab came into view from behind some green foliage in the distance. She adjusted the ammo bracer around her left thigh and ensured her guns were holstered at her hips before making her way to the exit. “Time is money, and I'm all about the money baby.” She winked at the security cameras as she pushed open the exit hatch and made her way to the laboratory. 

* * * *

Ava paced the pristine halls of the research facility quietly, the noise of her combat heels making the only sound in the sterile labs, as she periodically checked in each of the rooms over the course of her patrol. She stopped in the doorway of one to watch a researcher mutter excitably under his breath. She continued to study him as he dusted off a slab of stone, practically cooing in his euphoria. The blonde man was hunched over a large bench and between excited gasps and shrieks of delight, he made notes on his computer.

Ava shook her head in disapproval. One week ago a group of Exo-Geni researchers and archeologists had excavated a huge monolith at the nearby colony while attempting to extend the huge monorail track that was designed to link the Eden Prime research facility and living quarters to the colony encampment. 

A joint effort between the Alliance military 232 unit and Exo-Geni private security had transported the bulk of the monument back to the spaceport while other researcher divisions took separate parts of the giant tablet back on the monorail to the living quarters and laboratories to run further tests. As head of security for the science labs, Ava had personally overseen the exchange and couldn't shake the niggling foreboding feeling in her gut when Exo-Geni announced the news to their superiors. In the weeks they’d been studying it, the feeling had only intensified and all were under strict orders to never divulge details to the media or military.

Since they had unearthed the mysterious artifact there had been many theories and speculations that spread like wildfire around the facility, the most popular of these being that perhaps the monument was of Prothean origin. Of course there weren't any humans who specialized in Prothean history or artifacts to confirm these rumors, and they zealously coveted rights to keep all other races in the dark. However, if any of these outlandish theories had an ounce of truth, then humanity would be the first to uncover evidence of Prothean architecture, therefore be a huge step forward for humanity in the eyes of the other long-established races.

But none of this interested Ava in the least. She turned on her heel, satisfied that all was as it should be, for the moment anyway, and decided to check in with her contractor. “Good morning, doctor. All is well in the wards.”

Dr Warren did not look up from her monitor. “Excellent. Make sure you check the – ” Whatever the head researcher was going to say was cut off by a loud explosion from somewhere outside.

“ _What the hell?_!” Ava rushed to the window and swore as she saw the containers stacked in the docking bays explode and topple part of the labs. When she craned her neck to get a better view she gasped as she saw a massive ship land somewhere near the main colony. It was unlike any vessel she'd ever seen but large, loud and intimidating.

Just as she was about to inform the doctor, her assistant Dr Manuel, rushed to her side and exclaimed in a flustered panic, “It’s Armageddon out there! We’re all going to die!”

Ava shoved him abruptly out of the way, focused and excited all at once. “Not on my watch. Time to leave doctor, _now_.” Doctor Warren stared gob-smacked as smaller pods hurtled from the sky and Ava had to push her hard. She also half dragged Dr Manuel while he kept muttering hysterically.

Out in the halls other security personnel were doing their best to keep order, ushering the other scientists out of the exits and into the escape pods as Ava had instructed them during drills. They nodded their heads in acknowledgment as Ava passed them, they knew exactly what they had to do and knew that even though she would help as many as she could, her main priority was Dr Warren and her assistant.

They got to the end of the hall when a white ball crashed in front of them through a nearby window. Ava elbowed the two scientists behind her protectively and grasped her dual M9-Tempest sub-machine guns, her biotics flaring cautiously.

The white ball made a beeping then a clicking noise, unraveling itself and Ava realized, wide-eyed, that this machine was a geth. It turned to her and automatically opened fire. Instinctively Ava's body pulsated and a blast of azure energy engulfed her, absorbing the bullets. 

In the next instant the adept vanguard returned fire, making swiss cheese of the geth's head before throwing up a biotic force field in front of the scientists. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, granting her even more prowess and she ducked gracefully as the machine malfunctioned without its CPU intact, and sprayed gunfire in all directions. Ava clenched her teeth when she saw four more of them smash through the windows. 

Dr Manuel screamed hysterically, flailing his arms about stupidly. Swearing under her breath, the head of security slapped him. The shock managed to quell the distraught scientist enough for Ava to get him to co-operate. She managed to get them out and into one of the pods without running into any immediate encounters. Before she could join them, Ava heard high pitched chittering behind her, then more gunfire. Biotic shield shimmering, she whirled around to see two more geth on either side. 

“ _Shit!_ ” She cursed. She pushed off the pod and landed on one knee, making a wide arc spread with her arms and returned fire on either side. The machines jerked backwards and exploded as Ava emptied both clips into their heads. She was about to scramble into the pod and hit the launch button when Dr Warren grabbed her wrists frantically. “The monument at the colony! The bulk of the geth would have landed there. We cannot leave it here for these ghastly machines to destroy. It _must_ be saved!”

Ava reloaded both clips and stared her down incredulously. “Are you _kidding_ me? Your life is worth more than some piece of rock, forget it.” The two women glared at each other and Dr Warren was about to reply when more gunfire, very close to them now, interrupted her. 

Ava turned to shield them and when she turned back to yell for them to hit the button, she saw them run ahead toward the monorail. Ava cursed again and raced after the duo but had to take cover as more geth blocked her path. 

Realizing she wasn’t going to catch them in time, the enraged biotic channeled her fury into one powerful throw and hurled one of the geth at three of its mechanical allies, launching them into the side of a gas tank. A chain reaction of firework explosions lit up the immediate vicinity and Ava pushed out another burst of azure energy, protecting herself from the initial powerful detonation. The corner of the lab that the gas tank was attached to erupted into a shower of concrete and glass. 

Knowing she couldn't stay where she was, Ava rushed another incoming group of geth, ducking and weaving her way through the falling debris. She closed the distance between them quickly and once in range, she force pushed the next two geth before the machines had time to react. Like a domino effect, the robots lost balance and collapsed on each other. This gave Ava the time she needed to run along the single file and blow apart the heads. 

Chest heaving with exertion, the biotic checked for anymore geth. Once satisfied she had taken out the scouting group, Ava inhaled deeply and reloaded. After a significant breather she took another car on the monorail and headed toward the colony, hot on the scientists heels.

* * * *

On the other side of the complex at the colony encampment, it was hot, hotter than any other day in the year since he had been here. Adrian Smith groaned as the brilliant light shone through his bedroom window and burned his eyes the exact same moment he opened them. He muttered something blasphemous when he heard the incessant blaring of his alarm before rolling over and slammed his hand over the device. “I'm up, I'm up already!” 

Groggily he adjusted his vision to read the time, 5:00am, and slumped back down on his pillow about to rub his eyes when he felt something wet beneath his neck. He realized he was drenched in his own sweat. Crap. He'd been dreaming about her again, Kiah, and even though it was always pleasant at first, the dream always ended the same way – she died in a blaze of bullets and he could never save her. He always woke up sweating and heaving, and usually to the sound of his alarm. 

“This has got to stop,” he muttered and slowly rose from his bunk, reaching for his shirt and dog tags that hung over the back of the nearby chair and headed for the showers. With a yawn he turned on the showers and began the ritual he did every morning. Shower, shave and dress then head outside the barracks to do thirty pushups and thirty sit ups before breakfast and report to his station.

It was the same old routine out here on Eden Prime and not for the first time did he wonder if it was worthwhile. Sure the idea of babysitting civilians and making sure the place looked pretty might be great for some soldiers and probably do great things for his CV, but he craved more. 

For years Adrian had thrived off his parents’ stories of traveling the Local Cluster, fighting to keep pirates out of the system and exploring all of humanity’s gas giants. So it was natural that on his eighteenth birthday he joined the military, hoping to capture some of that same wanderlust. 

He’d certainly gotten his fill traveling around in Citadel space in his six years of service, taking down Batarian slavers and securing various resources for the Alliance, and so when Exo-Geni had offered him on an assignment to protect civilians of the thriving Eden Prime colony he jumped at the opportunity, but now, especially lately, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps he had been too hasty. This was utterly the most boring assignment he’d ever had.

Adrian was so consumed with his reverie that he almost didn’t see her coming. “Woah, look out there, soldier boy!” The young woman lost her balance and fell sharply, the basket she was carrying went flying. 

Adrian’s reflexes kicked in instantly. He dived down and caught her in the crook of his right arm and then caught the basket with the left. He turned to face her and gulped nervously as he realized their noses were almost touching. 

Kiah smiled and parted her lips expectantly. 

“Good morning Kiah. Bit early to be picking don’t you think?” His voice was deep and husky as he put the basket down and gently cupped the side of her face, turning her more into his body. He could feel the warmth of her and he couldn't help thinking they melded perfectly together, she so soft and supple against his rock hard muscular frame.

She sighed in contentment and replied softly, “You know what they say, soldier boy. The early bird catches the worm.” 

Since he was on the clock Adrian thought it wise to resist temptation and set her upright, handing her back her basket quickly, now suddenly terrified. He smiled at her apologetically and was relived to see this didn’t upset her. Instead she giggled at him and kissed him on the cheek before waving him goodbye. _Well I guess there are some things worth hanging around for!_

Kiah was one of the local farmers and had come to the colony about six months before him. She was of Asian descent but had an American accent and her glossy raven hair always smelled of strawberries. Even though she knew it wasn't really appropriate to date soldiers of the Alliance, she couldn't resist bending the rules. After all, his mission would end soon enough, what was the harm in fooling around a little before he left? 

They had been flirting casually for the last three weeks and had two or three dates so far, Adrian finding that she was fast beginning to mean more to him that just an on-the-fly fling. He was about to reply with something equally cheeky when he felt the ground rumble beneath his feet. Kiah instinctively reached out for him and he pulled her close with one protective arm while the other shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked around. 

“ _Holy shit!_ ” He exclaimed as he saw a massive ship, unlike anything he’d ever seen before, breach the clouds high above them and smaller pods hurtle down beside it. He quickly roused the other soldiers in the barracks and geared up, telling Kiah to get indoors. Adrian was in full soldier mode now, his training kicking in, and began barking orders for the others to secure the immediate colony and radioed ahead to the research facility. 

Whatever the hell was going on it was not anything the Alliance knew about and Adrian grimly thought to himself that he might just end up getting that action that he wanted after all.

There was absolute chaos. White balls began falling from the giant ship like large chunks of hail. When they hit the ground they uncurled into tall robots armed with pulse rifles, shotguns and assault rifles and moved with frighting speed and precision, cutting down almost every soldier in their view.

Adrian's eyes bulged in disbelief but steeled himself. He'd seen many men and comrades die in the field, and just because the enemy was mechanical instead of organic, he still needed to focus. 

He picked up the pace, dragging Kiah behind him, and shouted louder at the surviving men that had been able to keep up. Adrian led them to one of the safest places in the outpost, the armoury, signaling for any survivors along the way to follow him. When they reached the armoury, Adrian ordered Kiah and the others to hide in the corner and to arm themselves with whatever they could, as he and the remaining soldiers with him grabbed their rifles and ammunition.

Adrian knelt down beside Kiah. “Stay here, and don’t open that door for anyone, you hear me? No-one. Barricade it as soon as we leave,” he said, pausing when he felt her hand on his arm.

“Adrian, I.. Be careful, okay?” she said, looking up at him. He looked at her for a minute, every fiber of his being willing him to stay, then he nodded and walked away, shutting the armoury door behind him. Kiah stared at the back of the door for a moment before turning to the others. “Well? You heard the man, grab a weapon. We'll give those machines a fight, or die trying.”

Adrian gathered his comrades and went outside to take up positions around the perimeter, looking down the scope of his Tsunami assault rifle. Then he saw them, the synthetics. There was something familiar about these machines, and after he fired a short burst blowing two unsuspecting enemies apart, he realized he'd learned about them at the academy. Geth. What the hell were they doing here? He faintly recalled reading they had been exiled to the far reaches of Perseus Veil by their creators, the Quarians, but little else. Adrian saw a wave of Alliance soldiers running toward them in the hailstorm of bullets, his superior among them, and a group of the synthetics about to flank them. He ordered the men and women with him to provide support, but they were too late. 

Adrian yelled as he saw his Commanding Officer get hit, a round from the trailing geth hit him in the center of his chest. The soldier turned slightly and saw that the medic had already run over to the CO. There was little else to do for the poor bastard so he slammed a button on the stock of his rifle, activating Overkill mode, and returned fire. He aimed for the chest, just as he was trained to do, killing two in his first three bursts, while slowing a third. The soldiers at his side followed his example and they became a file of rampaging gatling guns, though for every geth felled, another lot replaced them.

The fighting went on for what seemed like forever, but it had only been twenty minutes, and five men were already dead. Adrian swore in frustration, reloading another thermal clip into the Tsunami, and took aim. He was starting to worry that this might be the end when he saw a ship fly overhead and land somewhere behind the outpost. His heart raced for a moment. Reinforcements?

As he frantically tried to make contact with the ship via the small communication radio on his shoulder. He swore when all he got was static. He was willing to bet that the geth had somehow jammed their communications, or that the ship was not from the Alliance - he didn't know which outcome was worse.

He gave up and concentrated back on the enemy, when minutes later he saw three of his comrades run back from around the outpost, accompanied by eight more men. Adrian saw the Alliance markings on their sleeves and started to speak when the geth opened fire again. He watched in a flood of appreciation as these new men and women immediately took up defensive positions and returned fire.

* * * *

It was the smell that hit Gabe first as his feet hit the ground. The distinct scent of weapon-fire and burnt flesh. He crinkled his crooked nose in disgust but a moment later shook it off. He eyed the men and women ordered to follow him by the Admiral and motioned for them gather around.

Gabe had been tasked with reinforcing the Alliance outpost here on Eden Prime and to provide extraction for any civilians left behind by Admiral Anderson. The Normandy had dropped them two hundred meters from the outpost before moving to deliver Commander John Shepard and the Turian SPECTRE on board to their mission further along. As Gabe and his soldiers pushed closer to the outpost, he could hear distress calls faintly through static and over the loud gunfire. “This is Alliance... any... there? Under attack... -forcements!”

Gabe frowned and glanced to his other comrades who also heard the broken transmission. They shook their heads and he knew what they were thinking – those men were likely dead by now. Gabe nodded in confirmation and keyed his suit mike. “Alliance outpost, this is Sergeant Major Gabriel Jackson. Outpost, do you read?” He gave it a few seconds but all he received was static. Gabe looked up at his men, expression grim. “Alright people, let's double time it.” They nodded and broke into a run.

They were Anderson's elite, next to Shepherd's team, and it didn't take them long to reach their objective. Once they could see the outpost, Gabe signaled for them to be careful and fan out as they made their way through the twisting, winding trail of bodies both civilians and marines alike. As he and his team passed by, Gabe stared at their wounds, they weren't like anything he'd ever seen before. He wished he'd had a few minutes to study them, but knew time was of the essence. They were running toward an incline when they saw three marines waiting for them, weapons raised. 

The look on their faces were ones Gabe knew well, hardened steel. He could only imagine what these poor bastards had seen. “Stop! Who are you? Identify yourselves, now!” One of them demanded.

Gabe nodded, the last thing he wanted was for everyone to be shooting at each other in the confusion. The Sergeant Major motioned for his soldiers to lower their weapons. Then he turned his blue piercing stare directly at the men in front of him, his deep, bass tone clearly demonstrating he was the authority here. “At ease marine. Sergeant Major Jackson of the Alliance. We're here to reinforce this outpost. Where is your Commanding Officer?”

The marines clenched their jaws for a moment before the first one said in a tight tone, “Dead, Sir.”

Without blinking, Gabe replied, “So who is in charge, marine? Where are these transmissions coming from?”

One of the men beside the first shifted his weight onto his other foot “That would be Staff Sergeant Smith, Sir.” By the glint in his eyes and the respectful tone in the soldiers voice, it would appear the Staff Sergeant was well liked. But how well had he led them? 

Gabe was about to find out. “Take us to him, marine.” A Staff Sergeant is in charge? Things are worse here than the Alliance originally thought. Images of the recording that had been intercepted on the Normandy played through his mind, echoing the urgency of the mission as he followed the marine into the outpost. 

Gabe and his soldiers gripped their weapons tighter as they followed the marines to where the Staff Sergeant and six other marines were entrenched in a relentless fire-fight with the strangest looking humanoids Gabe had ever seen. Then he realised these were not humanoid at all, but machines. Geth. Gabe had read about them during his training years, most soldiers did after being admitted into the Alliance military. A small panic bubbled inside him. The geth hadn’t been seen outside the Perseus Veil for almost two hundred years and their presence now did not bode well.

Then one of the marines turned and looked at Gabe and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by another wave of gunfire. Anderson's elite wasted no time in taking up defensive positions in the trenches and began firing back. Gabe unslung his Volkov and began picking off targets with the sniper rifle. The Infiltrator aimed at what he assumed was the eyes, if geth had such a thing. The Volkov had a recoil compensator built in, so Gabe hardly felt it as he fired repeatedly at his targets. 

When the weapon inevitably overheated, he was forced to eject the thermal clip and re-insert another. He and his men continued to fire on the geth, only to realise that they were hardly making a dent in the enemy forces. Gabe swore violently, and Adrian threw him an empathetic look before quickly returning his attention to the field.

In the middle of the fire-fight, one of the Sergeant Major's men turned to him to try and say something, but instead Gabe saw the man’s head explode in a red mist as a round from a geth rifle hit him in the back of the head. Gabe roared in blood curdling fury and snapped his attention to the geth responsible and fired all twelve rounds into it. Had his instructor at the academy seen it, he'd have greatly disapproved, but in that adrenaline-fuelled moment, Gabe wouldn’t have given a damn. 

Danny had been his friend, his only friend in fact, since joining the Alliance. They were like brothers and to see him go out like that both shocked and enraged him. Then his training took over and Gabe realised that he and his men would soon run out of ammo, when he was deafened by the most horrendous sound he’d ever heard.

Everyone in the trenches dropped to their knees and covered their ears, crying out in pain. Gabe crawled to the edge of the trench and peered over the low wall, noticing that the geth forces had stopped briefly, turning to look up at the ship he’d seen earlier taking off. As it flew higher into the atmosphere, Gabe and his men stood back up, did their best to block out the ear-piercing wail and resumed firing, momentarily taking the geth by surprise. 

After another several moments of blaring, the noise died down and they soon recovered, continuing their advance on the outpost. For every geth that was taken down, another seemed to take its place. Gabe soon ran out of thermal clips, placing it beside him and using his Raikou pistol and began picking off the geth closest to him. 

This kept up for a long while when suddenly, out of the smoke and gunfire, came a slim figure clad in a black catsuit and a long braid performing impressive leaps and flips, carving a way through the geth bulwark with an equally deadly impressive combination of biotics and tactfully precise bursts from duel-weld smg's. The closer the figure got to them, Gabe could see that it was a woman performing these jaw-dropping feats and was beginning to manoeuvre herself behind the geth, obliterating two at a time with each burst of the smg's. She was like lightning on the field, here one moment, then there the next, and Gabe had a hard time keeping up with her pace.

Snapping out of his astonishment, Gabe motioned for his men, including Adrian, to provide the woman with covering fire, using what ammo they had left. He also noticed that there was a group of unaccounted civilians waiting near a wall behind her. Without thinking twice, Gabe leapt over the wall and ran forward, firing his pistol. He saw out of the corner of his eye that his men had followed him, now forming a line beside him as they pressed forward. The Staff Sergeant and the men with him had also done the same.

They continued pushing forward, firing at targets that posed the most immediate threat and inch by inch they were gaining ground and closing the gap between them and the biotic woman. They dropped the last geth in front of them and Gabe turned to see the woman launch another powerful biotic attack at the final geth near her, blowing up the machine, its parts tearing from its body and scattered everywhere. In the same movement she followed up with bursts from her smg’s, causing a chain-reactive explosion of the machines behind the primary one.

They made a resonating squeal as the remaining geth's lights from their eyes faded. Satisfied that for the moment that the assault had stopped, the woman holstered her weapons, brought down her barrier and turned to face them, flicking her long chocolate braid over her shoulder before looking them up and down cautiously.

“Sergeant Major Gabriel Jackson, Alliance Military. Thanks for the assist,” Gabe said smoothly, offering his hand. 

She looked down at his offered hand then back up to him, only raising an interested eyebrow saying carefully, “Ava Masters, Exo-Geni Security.” She lowered her guns and relaxed a little. 

Gabe withdrew his hand, frowned but nodded, and was about to ask her a question when the Staff Sergeant joined them. “Staff Sergeant Adrian Smith. That was some good timing Sir. A few more minutes and you’d be cleaning us up,” he said, quite grateful as he saluted the superior. Gabe returned the salute, while Ava nodded curtly before joining the civilians, not because she cared for their well-being, but because she did not feel like answering the bombardment of inevitable questions.

“We were supposed to take over from you guys. Guess it’s a good thing we got here when we did,” Gabe said grimly as he looked at the state of the outpost, wishing he’d gotten there sooner. “Hell of a mess.”

“Yes, Sir. What the hell were those things?” Adrian asked, quite in agreement.

“I believe they were geth,” Gabe answered. “Though it seems they’ve had a few upgrades since they last appeared.” Gabe added with a frown.

“I had an inkling it might be geth, but I guess I just didn't want to believe it. It's just so odd to see them in the flesh, er, existence,” the Staff Sergeant mused. He looked around at the carnage that had unfolded before them and a sombre look crossed his square features. “So what happens now? How do we get out of here?” He asked Gabe.

Gabe thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll call the Fifth Fleet. Admiral Hackett will send someone to pick us up. Where’s the best place for a shuttle to land?”

“The spaceport.” Ava answered, joining them again.

The Sergeant Major nodded at her. “Good. Stock up on what ammo you can.” He turned to make the call. 

Adrian walked around the bodies of his men, collecting ammo and covering them over, his remaining marines and even some of the civilians did the same. Gabe watched with a heavy heart as they gently pulled Danny’s body out from behind the wall, laying him with the rest. Ava crossed her arms and looked away.

Adrian went down to the armoury to let the civilians know, including Kiah, that the danger had passed and followed him back up to the others. When Gabe was finished, he joined Ava and Adrian. “There’ll be a shuttle waiting for us at the spaceport. What’s the quickest route there?” he asked.

“That would be via the monorail, but it was destroyed when that ship or whatever it was landed,” Ava replied, spreading her hands behind her head. “I tried to use it, but when I realised it was gone, I made my way here.”

“The spaceport’s about twenty minutes from here by foot,” Adrian added, pointing in the direction of it.

“Okay, then let’s get these people out of here,” Gabe said, adding the location to his omni-tool before pausing to glance one last time at the fallen soldiers before moving out.

Gabe and Adrian led the way through the hot zone, followed closely by Ava and the civilians that had survived, protecting all that got trapped in any geth crossfire with an effective biotic shield; Adrian and Gabe’s marines brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any threats that might arise.

They had reached the monorail after a long while of trekking through more corpses and fallen debris from the colonists houses, and taking down multiple pockets of geth. Gabe ordered for them to get into the cars and hit the auto pilot and hung onto a railing above him as the car whirred to life and slowly creaked forward. As it picked up momentum Gabe turned to Ava, noticing the symbol on her uniform. “So you work for Exo-Geni huh? What were you guys doing up there that was so hush hush?”

“And does it have anything to do with this mess? An experiment gone wrong maybe?” Adrian added, staring down at her with clear disapproval.

Ava moved closer to join them and even though she only reached their shoulders she returned their stares, refusing to be intimidated. “I think I can happily say I am now a _former_ employee of the Exo-Geni Corporation and what I was contracted to do is none of your business.”

The monorail turned a sharp corner and the three of them swayed to the right, holding on tightly. “Contracted? So you’re a merc then?” Adrian asked, frowning deeper. 

Gabe shifted his gaze to the Staff Sergeant quickly before returning to Ava. “Whatever service you provided to the corporation is unimportant at the moment, unless of course you can shed some light on what’s going one here.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know any more than you two. We were taken utterly by surprise back at the labs.” Adrian noticed she had dodged his questions and he was not impressed.

Gabe had a feeling she was holding something back but believed that what she was saying held some truth to it so he continued. “I’m more concerned with those skills of yours. I’ve never seen such a commanding display of biotics in a human before, and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of human biotics. Where did you learn to _move_ like that?”

Again Ava held her ground and looked him in the eye. “That’s also none of your business, Sergeant Major. As far as my skills are concerned, as long as they help save your ass what more do you need to know?”

Somewhere behind them a few of the marines within earshot snickered but quickly shut their traps when the Staff Sergeant sent them a reprimanding glare. “You think that’s funny marine?”

“N.. no, Sir!” All traces of humour evaporated as the marines saluted him nervously.

“Good.” Adrian nodded and turned back to Ava and Gabe. “Do you always show such disrespect to your superiors, Ava?” 

Ava’s eyes narrowed acutely on him. “This guy,” she motioned to Gabe, “is not _my_ superior. In case you failed to noticed, Staff Sergeant, I’m not part of your precious Alliance. I don’t follow orders.”

“At least not without getting paid first!” He shot back, rolling his eyes.

Ava was about to say something else when the monorail began to slow down and a synthetic voice crackled over the loud speakers. “Now approaching laboratories. Be advised that the facility is under a code red procedure. Alert! Section Seven A of the monorail track has been severed, unable to re-calculate alternate route to labs. Alert!”

“Damn it!” Gabe cursed as he leaned out of the window to see smoke billowing off into the distance, also noticing what appeared to be tall pillars in the same area. 

He squinted to try and make them out better, but Adrian’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Everything from this point has become almost inaccessible!”

“Damn. There’s more geth up ahead, right near the spaceport. This isn’t going to be easy.” Ava added, hands hovering above her smg's.

Gabe sighed. “Nothing ever is with geth.” He pulled the emergency brake and the monorail came to a screeching halt. He guided them carefully down the decline from the rails and slowly made their way toward the spaceport. As they neared it, Gabe got a better look at the pillars he’d seen moments before, only to realise that they weren’t pillars at all, but giant spikes. They actually reminded like dragon’s teeth, mythical creatures from hundreds of years ago, the spikes standing at least twenty feet high.

As he looked up at them, he saw that there were bodies impaled on the tips of the ‘teeth’. Gabe heard someone gasp behind him and turned to see Adrian standing behind him, with the civilians not far behind. “That’s a real shitty way to die,” he heard Adrian mutter as they looked up at the bodies.

Gabe silently agreed and glanced up at the bodies, his stomach churning at the sight. Then he turned and beckoned the others to follow. They were only meters away from the lab entry point when they noticed the huge area of scorched earth. “Well I’ll be damned!” Gabe exclaimed as he shielded his eyes from the sun and moved to the edge of the broken monorail to get a better view.

“I wonder what could have done that kind of damage? A ship for sure.” Adrian surmised as he lowered his gun and joined Gabe at the rail. 

He looked up to see a huge destroyed slab of stone, glowing green. Knowing full well what had transpired here, Ava subtly detached herself from Adrian and Gabe and checked on the civilians to pass the time. “How we doing back here?” she said as she nodded to a group of women and a young boy she guessed to be in his teens. 

“We’re ok.” The same woman she saw with Adrian earlier spoke up. “Aren’t we, Alex?” Ava turned to see the young teen move closer to her and she tilted her head downwards to look him in the eye. She grimaced as she watched him avert his gaze, his fearful body language easily noticeable.

But that wasn’t what caught her attention. The air crackled softly around him, just like it did when her biotics were about to flare up. It was a reaction to a biotic's emotions. Especially if they were feeling something intense like fear or excitement. Her eyes narrowed further on him, feeling something very off about his persona. For some reason she felt like she should say something. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, “We’ll get through this, kid. Stay strong for a bit longer, alright?”

He still refused to meet her gaze but nodded. Ava was about to move on and check on the others when they all heard another geth ship fly overhead. Gabe and Adrian rushed to their side, followed closely by the other few marines that had survived.

“They’re making a final push to blow up the escape pods! Stay close and carve a path for those civilians marines!” Gabe commanded already on the move. He tapped his hard suit mike and began calling for extraction.

Adrian and the other men pressed forward on his flanks, firing at the descending geth shock troopers. Ava hurled a warp ball and blew up three geth troopers that managed to escape the marines’ net of fire before herding the civilians into a tighter group as they slowly followed the marines.

Gabe’s gaze darted from target to target and grew increasingly frustrated to see for every geth trooper they took down, another seemed to fall from the ship to replace it. His frustration elevated to new heights when he saw another type of geth hurl from the ship, much bigger than the troopers.

“For _fuck’s_ sake! An armature! Fan out, _fan out_! Keep it occupied on all sides. Ava get those civilians to the pods, _now!_ ” Gabe barked his orders at her and rushed into the fray, guns blazing. She nodded her acknowledgement, firing her smg’s with expert precision and cleared a small path for them to file through. The biotic produced a high wall of kinetic energy that absorbed all incoming geth fire. They had almost reached the end when Kiah tripped over a fallen geth. 

Ava cursed and backtracked to her. She had just outstretched her hand to Kiah when she was thrown back by a blast from the armature, busting through her barrier, dissolving portions of it and missed her by only a few inches. Her vision blurred and she heard a scream from somewhere behind her.

Adrian and Gabe were having a hard time keeping the huge geth away from the others. “What the hell is going on?” Adrian yelled to be heard over the geth beams and constant fire. “It’s like it’s programmed to attack the civilians or something.”

He fired four rounds into the side of it, but it still did not return fire on him. Gabe swore again and yelled back, “Take out its legs. If that doesn’t get the bastard’s attention I don’t know what will!” The marines complied and together they managed to get the machine to turn around. Its huge red eye reminded Adrian of a tin bull, a very big, very pissed off bull. Its light lined them up and when it found them, a long red beam exploded, scattering them over the ground. Three more groups of geth troopers emerged from behind the armature and Gabe and Adrian were forced to split up to take them out. Once the groups had been taken down, the armature made another firing attempt, this time aiming back at the civilians. 

Both men looked at each other in a panic as they realised that neither they or the other marines were going to reach the civilians in time. Adrian’s face turned white in pure horror as the armature fired another beam at them, Kiah lying right in the cross-hairs.

When Ava was able to regain a portion of her senses, she blinked, still a little disoriented, and saw the geth armature turn to make another attack on them. She scrambled to her feet and tried to run to Kiah but stumbled instead. The next thing she knew, Alex, the youth she saw earlier, rushed to Kiah’s side, screaming in blind rage. He thrust his chest out and the air around him crackled and reverberated, his whole body shaking and beginning to glow right before he expelled a huge purple biotic explosion from his hands at the armature, disintegrating its ‘eye’. He made another clenching motion with his palms, thrusting forward then backwards, biotically wrenching the machine's limbs apart. 

Ava was stunned. She’d had a haunch that he might be a biotic but she’d had no idea he could be this powerful. When Alex turned to the geth surrounding the armature, Ava could see that his expression was distressed, almost overwhelmed. She knew that if he wasn't in control then all this power could just as easily be turned on those he was helping. The young biotic made a sweeping gesture with his hand and the geth went flying. Ava was now fully in control, and biotically rocketed to their side, ready to neutralise the teenager if needed, but when the armature and accompanying geth were destroyed, Alex collapsed in a heap at her feet. 

By this time Gabe and Adrian had gathered the rest of the marines and joined her. In one effortless movement, Adrian had gathered Kiah in his arms and Ava hoisted Alex over one shoulder in a fireman carry and rushed toward the escape pods. Gabe brought up the rear and took down any more opposing geth. When all was quiet, they helped the other civilians to their feet and gathered them for extraction. 

That was when they heard the sound of metal grinding against metal. Adrian turned around and saw the spikes lowering themselves to about eight feet, watching in horror as the bodies, now looking like a mess of tubes, wires, neon lights and flesh fused together, slid off. “Ah, Sergeant Major? We have a bit of a problem…” he said, frantically tapping Gabe’s shoulder.

Gabe turned and saw the bodies starting to rise. “ _Goddamnit!_ When’s this shit going to end?!” He watched as the blackened bodies began walking towards them, noticing that some of them still wore clothing, or what was left of clothing making sickening gurgling noises. 

Gabe saw Exo-Geni and Alliance emblems on some of the tattered materials, and assumed that the others were colonists. Whoever they once were, these things are only husks of their former selves, Gabe thought as Adrian, Ava and the remaining marines took up positions beside him, their charges propped up against what was left of the spaceport.

The husk like corpses made a rasping sound as they rushed forward, arms outstretched. Gabe opened fire with his pistol, followed a split second later by Adrian and Ava on either side of him. The marines fired three round bursts into the chests, dropping five of them straight away. Gabe aimed for the head three in front of him, firing one shot for each corpse, while Adrian shot out the legs of the five he aimed at. Ava used both Tempests and took down four, before kicking and using her biotics to take care of the three that got too close. 

Then there were only six more of the corpses left standing, slowly shambling towards them. Gabe looked at the marines and nodded, they knew what to do. Taking aim, the soldiers moved forward and put down the corpses.

The Sergeant Major looked at the five that were slowly crawling towards them before glancing over at Adrian, who stared back. Gabe shook his head and closed the small gap between them, firing one round each into their heads. “Whatever these things are, they’re dead. Next time, put them down permanently,” he growled. He noticed Adrian’s jaw clench, but the Staff Sergeant said nothing.

Some of the civilians were slowly making their way over to the bodies, and Gabe turned to the marines. “Keep those people back! They don’t need to see this shit,” he barked, pointing to the civilians and then the bodies. The marines nodded back and ran over, forming a line in front of the colonists, gently pushing them back.

Ava strode over and knelt beside one of the corpses. As she examined the body, she noticed that the eye had been replaced by lights, and that tubes and wires now protruded from beneath its skin. The cracks in the flesh revealed some kind of twisted cybernetics underneath, and the blood had now been replaced by a sickly green substance. When she realised that Adrian and Gabe were standing behind her, she stood, her face blank.

“What the hell could’ve done this to them?” Adrian asked incredulously, seemingly directing his question at her.

Ava rolled her eyes before turning to face him. “How the hell am I supposed to know?”

Adrian took a step closer, making Gabe tense as he readied himself to step in. “You spent a fair amount of time examining that, thing. Are they some kind of Exo-Geni experiment?” Adrian demanded.

Ava held her ground once again. “And your point being what? That because I held a contract with Exo-Geni, I would know all of their inner workings? Well, I don’t. But if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that it had something to do with those spikes they were impaled on,” she replied, thoroughly annoyed, before adding “ _Staff Sergeant_.”

Adrian took another step forward, visibly seething, before Gabe stepped in. “Easy, Staff Sergeant. I have to agree with Miss Masters. Those spikes are not of human design. My guess would be the geth did that.”

Adrian opened his mouth to speak, but just then a ship from the fifth fleet emerged from the clouds and took down the geth ship and landed near the group. The ground hatch opened up and soldiers bearing arms ushered them inside. It then took out the rest of the geth before zooming back up into the sky.

The next thing Gabe knew Admiral Hackett was on his mike. “Well done, soldier. That was a hell of a tight spot.”

Gabe breathed a sigh of relief. “You have no idea sir. Thanks for the assist.”

The admiral chuckled. “Just sit back and relax son, you’ll be in Citadel space soon enough and I’ll debrief you all in person. Hackett out.”


	2. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The survivors of the Eden Prime extraction arrive on board Arcturus Station where they're met with Admiral Hackett, ready to be debriefed.

# Chapter Two, The Meeting

_30 minutes on board the Alliance shuttle en-route to Citadel Space…_

Gabe sat in the cargo hold of the Alliance shuttle, his helmet and guns scattered beside him and head in his hands, utterly exhausted. Sweat poured down his blond brow as his mind replayed the events that had transpired only about a half hour ago. There were so many disturbing images; the explosions, the victims, the geth and those eerie things that were impaled on the tall spikes. And then there was the confusion. 

What in the hell had happened back there? To his knowledge the geth had not ventured out of Terminus space in hundreds of years, so what was it they were after? And what about the massive ship he saw landing near the outpost? It didn’t look like any geth ship he’d ever read or learned about. There were too many questions with far too few answers. And then there was Danny’s death.

The poor bastard.

They had been through so much together, stretching right back to Gabe’s early years in joining the Alliance marines nearly a decade ago. Danny was the only person who knew the hardships he’d had to endure to get where he was and the sacrifices he’d had to make to become the person he was today.

Gabe rubbed his face grimly. When he got back to the Citadel he was going directly to Flux and getting blind drunk. He smoothed his shoulder-length hair back to wipe away the sweat and turned to see the Staff Sergeant wearing a look that appeared to mirror what he was feeling. He was looking down at the oriental woman he’d seen back on Eden Prime. They were engaged in hushed conversation. Unfortunately for them this was a small shuttle and Gabe had overheard most of it.

“…I know, but I had to make sure you were safe, Kiah,” Adrian was saying, squeezing her shoulder tightly.

She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking around at the company they had. “I’ll tell you later, ok?” 

“Alright, I understand,” he replied, stone-faced.

She turned to look at him, her face softening. “Though I’m glad you made it, Adrian.” She stole a quick glance at the Sergeant Major before glancing back to Adrian. “I mean, Staff Sergeant.”

Adrian turned to Gabe as well and frowned. When Gabe only shrugged his shoulders and looked away Adrian removed his hand from her shoulder and crossed his arms. “I wasn’t going to leave you there, no matter what. You’re special to me. I want you to know that.”

Kiah smiled up at him, shuffling closer beside him. She looped her arm around his huge bicep and gently tugged at it. He sighed and unfolded his arms to let her wrap her arms around his waist, fighting the urge to smile back, but she was hard to resist. “I feel exactly the same way. To tell you the truth I was scared that you were killed after the gunfire stopped that first time. My heart pounded so loud I thought it was going to burst right out of my chest.” She snuggled closer into him and he could feel her smile against him. “But you know what? I knew you were alive. I just knew.”

Adrian stroked her head and said quietly, “It’s ok, I’m here now.” He wished he could express how much that meant to him. However he knew that now was definitely not the place for such private displays of emotion.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes more before Kiah whispered, “What’s going to happen now?”

“Well first there’s going to be a debrief, probably at Arcturus Station,” answered Gabe, indicating that she didn't need to whisper any more.

“A debrief? What’s that?” Kiah asked.

Ava also moved closer to hear what the Sergeant Major had to say. “And how much of it do I have to be a part of?”

Gabe leaned back in his seat and stared at her, a grin playing at his scarred lip. “You really don’t like us marine types huh?”

Ava crossed her arms and raised an unamused eyebrow. “Not really, no.”

He continued to watch her, the grin widening. “I wonder why that is?”

Ava didn’t take the bait, instead she deflected his question with another, ignoring his outright laughter. “You know, Sergeant Major, the lady asked you a question. Aren’t you going to answer her?”

Turning to Kiah, he said in between laughs, “They’re going to ask questions regarding what you saw, that’s all. Just tell them the truth. It shouldn’t take long, an hour max.”

Gabe was explaining the finer details of things they might be asked while at the political headquarters when over the speakers the pilot interjected with, “Two minute’s till the station, Sergeant-Major.” 

Gabe banged on the back of the shuttle door. “Understood.” He gathered his helmet and guns, standing to reach for the railing on the roof. Adrian did likewise, smiling quickly to Kiah before turning to his superior and nodding his acknowledgment. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.

Ava crossed her arms and frowned, clearly annoyed she had to be a part of this debriefing. “About time,” she muttered and smoothed down her dusty catsuit. The two soldiers ignored her and tightened their grip as the shuttle rattled and hummed as the pilot deftly descended and opened the hatch.

Admiral Hackett and a few other officials were waiting for them, their faces devoid of all expression. Gabe led the marines down the ramp, followed by Adrian then Ava and the civilians. When they were within the admiral’s proper view, the soldiers stood at attention and saluted him, who returned the gesture. “Sergeant Major. I heard things got pretty tense down there.”

“Yes, Sir. Sergeant Thomson was killed in action,” Gabe replied solemnly, keeping his eyes trained on his superior.

Hackett inclined his head slightly. “I’m sorry to hear that son. He was a good marine.”

“A _damn_ good one, Sir. One of the best.” Gabe’s jaw clenched slightly, refusing to exhibit any emotion other than respect. 

The admiral seemed to understand completely, nodding as he placed a hand on Gabe’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. Then he turned to the other marines. “Get yourselves cleaned up and get some chow. Debrief in one hour.”

They saluted him. “Sir, yes sir!” The admiral saluted them then moved on to the civilians and Ava, introducing himself and welcoming them to the station. Gabe collected his gear and moved to the barracks, followed by Adrian and the other marines. Ava and the civilians were shown their quarters and the amenities and left to clean up also. 

As they used the separate shower cubicles, the marines joked and talked amongst themselves about the day’s events, now that the fighting was behind them. Unfortunately for Gabe, those events were still far too fresh in his mind. He leaned against the shower wall, arms outstretched and palms flat against the wall and let the steam and hot water cascade down his muscled and scarred back, his dog tags swaying against the powerful spray, his mind flicking through the memories again, and now that the adrenaline had worn off he felt the guilt flood through him.

In the next shower over, Adrian also remained silent, lost in thought as well. He reached for the loofah hanging around the neck of the shower and began lathering his biceps and forearms. Even though he was remembering all the fallen as well, he had a lot to be happy about. He had lived, and so had his Kiah. They were incredibly lucky, and he knew it. Scrubbing away the blood and dirt from his skin he sighed in relief as the water soothed his aching muscles. After a while longer he turned off the shower and toweled himself dry before returning into his room. Lost in his thoughts for a while, he was thinking about all the happy moments they had shared, most notably their first kiss. He smiled at the tenderness of the moment before he heard someone knock on his door. It was the Sergeant Major. “Time’s up, Smith. Debriefing’s in ten.”

Adrian jolted back to reality and joined the other marines outside the briefing room. He nodded at the others waiting in the seats beside the door and scowled when he noticed Ava, now changed into khaki slacks and a tank obviously borrowed. If she weren't so damn annoying he might have found her attractive.

When she caught sight of him, Ava only rolled her eyes.

Adrian opened his mouth to comment when an Alliance official emerged from the adjacent room and called for Gabe. Adrian closed his mouth, realizing the severity of what was happening and turned to watch him straighten up and follow him inside.

Gabe stood in front of the panel of officials, Admiral Hackett at the center and saluted before putting his hands behind his back and waited for them to speak. He didn’t have to wait long. A man with a British accent was the first to address him. “Sergeant Major Jackson. Please tell the panel what the hell happened down there.” 

Gabe nodded. “For the most part, sir, all I know is that we were taken by complete surprise. Geth were swarming over every part of the central colony and after being dropped by the Normandy I led a group of marines to the eastern outpost where I was met by what was left of Staff Sergeant Smith’s unit. With his superior killed in action, the Staff Sergeant had assumed command.”

The panel of officials murmured amongst themselves and Gabe continued. “We were about to gather all the remaining men and civilians and head to the armoury when were caught in another wave of geth attack. There was a rogue biotic in the area, Ava Masters, who I later discovered to be a contracted worker for the Exo-Geni Corporation. She proved to be of great assistance.” He broke off briefly while more hushed murmurs buzzed around the table. “Between her and the Staff Sergeant we managed to get all the remaining civilians and marines to the spaceport and call for extraction.”

He must have appeared to be debating on something because Hackett asked, “Is there something else, Sergeant Major?”

Gabe silently cursed and nodded, meeting the admiral’s gaze. “Yes sir. While we were calling for the extraction we were ambushed by a geth drop ship which had an armature on board.” Gabe clenched his jaw again and added, “We were completely overwhelmed and would have lost most of the civilians if not for the actions of one of them. A teenage biotic stepped forward and ripped the armature apart, as well as destroying several nearby shock troopers.”

Another official raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting. “How were you unaware of such tremendous biotic power?”

Gabe noted the subtle sarcasm in his voice and replied with a bit of sarcasm also. “With all due respect, _sir_ , I am not a biotic marine and couldn’t be expected to know such things. But what I do know is that we would have had a lot more casualties if not for his courage.”

The officials turned to their holograms and began typing various things. It was a few minuets before the admiral spoke up. “Jackson, what is your opinion of Staff Sergeant Smith?”

Gabe thought this an odd question but did not hesitate to answer. “The Staff Sergeant handled himself exceptionally well in the situation. When his CO was killed, he stepped up without hesitation and defended that outpost the best of his ability. During the events that transpired, he relinquished command to me without complaint, proving himself to be calm and collected. My first impression is that he’s a hell of a marine, sir.”

Admiral Hackett looked at Gabe carefully, his expression deeply thoughtful before he nodded curtly and turned to the other officers. He added something to his hologram then said to Gabe, “That’s the impression we received from the marines under him. Thank you Sergeant Major, that will be all.”

As Gabe saluted one more time then exited the room he wore a thoughtful expression himself. The doors swung open again and he found himself looking at the Staff Sergeant on the other side. “You’re next, Smith.” 

Adrian nodded and entered the room. The officials and the admiral asked him the same questions and Adrian’s answers concurred with everything Gabe had said, though he did not hesitate when asked about the young biotic. Finally they had asked for his opinion on his other two comrades.

“Well, Sir, the Sergeant Major commands his men well enough and really knows how to hold his own in combat. It’s easy to see how he’s climbed the ranks.”

Admiral Hackett stroked his chin thoughtfully. He could see that the Staff Sergeant was holding back. “But?”

Adrian was taken aback a little. He’d hoped that his thoughts would go unnoticed. Seconds ticked by and Adrian knew he had to answer the question. He sighed and said, “To be completely honest, sir, I think he plays a little too loose with the rules.”

Hackett raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

Adrian swallowed nervously, hating being put on the spot like this. “There was a situation back on Eden Prime where the Sergeant Major let his emotions get the better of him.”

“Ah yes, Sergeant Thomson’s death I assume?” Hackett said slowly.

Adrian nodded solemnly. “Sergeant Major Jackson used an entire thermal clip on the machine that had killed Thomson, sir. The Sergeant Major displayed poor weapons discipline. We are not trained for such fire methods.”

Hackett and the others sat in silence for a few moments before they murmured some more, clearly this was a good point.

Hackett turned back to Adrian. “Noted, Staff Sergeant. I will speak to the Sergeant Major about this at a later date. I would ask one more thing before I dismiss you. I have reports about one Ava Masters. I understand she works for Exo-Geni? What are your thoughts on her performance today?”

Adrian didn’t bother to hide his distaste. “Yes, sir. From what I can tell she is a contract worker, borderline mercenary in my opinion. From what very little she told us, she was hired security for the operations on Eden Prime, whatever they may be.”

Another official frowned. “Stick with the facts please, Staff Sergeant.”

Adrian blinked, removing all traces of annoyance and slipped into his marine tone. “Yes, Ma’am. Sorry, Ma’am. Miss Masters is a capable biotic, having devastated dozens of geth patrols on her way to the outpost. She protected the civilians while assisting them to the escape pods and also saved one of them when the armature appeared.”

“Which was, from the reports we have, destroyed by a young man with a powerful biotic attack?” Hackett asked, looking at the sheets in front of him.

“Yes, sir. None of us had any idea he was a biotic. He was among the other civilians that we left in the outpost.” Adrian shifted his weight and looked at each of the officers on the panel.

They seemed satisfied with his answers and so the admiral stood up and saluted him. “Thank you, Staff Sergeant Smith. That was some fine work down there. That will be all.” 

Adrian saluted back and left the room. Once more the swinging doors opened and Adrian glared at Ava. “Your turn, merc.”

Ava returned his glare and rose to her feet. “Thanks, brown-noser.” As they passed each other the other marines watched on, fixated. Once she entered the room Ava stood straight, her hands curled in a defensive posture.

“Welcome, Miss Masters,” Hackett said with a smile.

Ava was in no mood for this. “Save the pleasantries, Admiral. You want answers and I want off this hunk of metal. Fire away.”

There was the sound of sharp intakes of breath as everyone around the panel was shocked at her abruptness. Everyone except the Admiral. His eyes narrowed on her sharply and said, “Miss Masters on this station I am the person in charge. You will address me with respect.”

Ava crossed her arms but said nothing further. Admiral Hackett sat forward in his chair, his hands clasped as he nodded. “Better. Now could you please tell us what happened on Eden Prime, in your own words?”

Ava nodded and began telling them how the geth attacked the settlement, the destruction of the monorail and then making her way to the outpost.

“And did you manage to recover Dr Manuel and her assistant?” an officer asked.

Ava turned to him sharply, “No. They thought they could do it solo. They’re probably dead, and now I'm not going to get paid. Fucking selfish idiots.”

The admiral reprimanded her colorful language before adding, “The same outpost where you encountered Sergeant Major Jackson and Staff Sergeant Smith?”

Ava put her hand on her hip, annoyed. “That's what I said, wasn't it?”

Hackett watched her carefully. “What is your opinion of these men?”

Ava said nothing for a long while, debating on how to reply. Her tone was still cautious but she couldn’t hide the respect in her voice. “They seemed to handle themselves well in that sort of situation. Looks like all that tax payer money wasn’t wasted after all.”

Hackett had to fight to hide his smile. He was sure there was a compliment somewhere in all that sarcasm. However his tone was far from amused as he rounded on her. “I understand that you’re biotic. What can you tell me of the young man that destroyed the armature?”

Ava stiffened immediately. She looked him right in the eye, as if daring him to look away. “There isn’t much to tell. He was with the group of civilians we were escorting.”

“But he was the one who blew up the armature!” exclaimed one of the officials. 

Ava took a step forward, very angry. “Then give him a bloody medal! Otherwise leave him alone. The poor kid’s been through enough without you lot prodding and poking into his business!” 

Hackett rose to his feet, his presence commanding calm. “Thank you, Miss Masters. We’ve heard enough.”

When she didn’t move right away, he added in a commanding tone, “You are dismissed.” 

Ava nodded curtly before turning on her heel and stormed out.

* * * *

Over the course of a few days every soldier and civilian were debriefed and transported back to the Citadel where the human embassy would take care of things from there on. Ava was among them and couldn’t wait to get there, much to the relief of the entire Arcturus headquarters. The fiery biotic spoke her mind, and for everyone else who had to follow orders, this had proved to be quite amusing yet difficult to watch.

Gabe and Adrian as well as the marines that survived Eden Prime stayed behind for a day longer on Arcturus Station to attend the young Sergeant Thomson’s funeral. Gabe had said a few words and after a very small wake they left for the Citadel also. They were under strict orders to take a week’s worth of shore leave before they would be contacted by Alliance personnel in regards to their next deployment. And so it was on the Citadel that Adrian now found himself, carrying six shopping bags of clothes, four boxes of shoes and a bouquets of lilac lily’s. “Oooh! I like that one, Vikki! Can we please have a look?” Kiah’s eyes lit up as they stopped out in front of Lulu’s, one of the jewelers on the Presidium. 

Victoria, who Adrian had introduced to Kiah as his elder sister, laughed as she turned to Adrian. He sighed and handed over his wallet, cringing on the inside at how much they were probably going to spend. It was common knowledge that the Asari proprietor of the establishment, and who the shop was named after, had a way of enticing even the most frugal of customers into buying her merchandise. Adrian was sure these two would not be an exception.

Kiah clapped her hands together happily before reaching up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks so much!” He collapsed in a heap on one of the nearby benches. He could fight a battalion of raiders and hordes of geth but one shopping spree with his sister and girlfriend and he was undone.

It’d been two days since he’d been back on the Citadel. He had asked if his sister, Victoria, would mind putting Kiah up for a few weeks and she’d readily agreed – Adrian had never brought a 'serious' girlfriend home before and his elder sibling couldn't wait to pick her brains about it! As it turned out the two of them got on like a house on fire. Kiah had so many questions about Adrian’s upbringing and family background and Vikki was only too happy to answer them, much to Adrian’s embarrassment. 

One of the first things the girls wanted to do was go shopping. “Kiah has only the clothes on her back and no money of her own, Adrian. You should go buy her some nice things.” Vikki, ever the more perceptive of the siblings, had pointed this out to him just this morning. “After all, my clothes are at least two sizes too big for the poor thing!”

Kiah had gone beet red at the comparison. Vikki was tall and broad like her brother, curvy and plump in all the right spots, green eyes and had beautifully long light brown hair, with impossibly long legs. Kiah was slim and angular, dark features and eyes, small chested and a bit on the muscular side. Until now her physique hadn't bothered her, after all she was used to hard work in the field, but now she was looking at Vikki, she couldn't help but feel a little amazed and diminished at the same time. This morning Vikki had caught the younger woman looking at her in the mirror enviously and smiled down at her, explaining that she too was beautiful. After a few more lovely compliments Kiah had perked up a bit and that's when Vikki announced they would go shopping. After hearing her reasoning Adrian had agreed to help out.

Vikki had lived on the Citadel for six years now and worked as a nurse in one of the hospitals in the Medical Wards sector and was renting a nice flat close by. Whenever he had the time, Adrian would visit and sometimes stay for a few days and treat his sister to a shopping spree like this or perhaps a nice meal. They were quite close, their parents had raised them on a vineyard back on Earth after they had retired from the Alliance. They were also similar in features too, aside from Vikki's eye colour, having the same complexion and square jaw, even similar facial expressions and people often would mistake them for twins.

Twenty minutes later the two of them emerged from Lulu’s. Adrian looked up and saw Kiah admiring a strand of gold around her neck. He looked closer to see that a small round locket hung at the bottom. He stood up and she turned to him. “Look at what I bought.” She opened the locket and he smiled to see a tiny hologram of the two of them embracing. He was touched.

“It looks beautiful, Kiah,” Adrian smiled. The three of them walked along the garden pathways of the Presidium, admiring the impressive sculptures and elegant water fountains. They chuckled a bit when they saw a Hanar and a Turian engage in a heated debate about the former preaching in the Presidium without a permit. Vikki and Adrian rolled their eyes. Neither of them were religious but didn't want to get caught up in the argument either.

They continued on to a café where they sat to have a bit of lunch. A Salarian waiter took their order and when they were done Vikki piped up, “You know, this is such a nice idea, Adrian. We should do this more often.”

Adrian almost choked on his sparkling water. “Nice huh? Well next time you can foot the bill!” 

They all laughed, especially Vikki. “On my salary? Are you kidding?” They laughed harder still. “Besides, we always go out and about when you have shore leave, Ade. Maybe not on the Presidium but we have a life you know!”

The siblings smiled at each other and after several moments Kiah cleared her throat. “Well I just want to say that I appreciate everything you both have done for me.”

Adrian kissed the inside of her wrist. “You’re worth it.”

“And you needed new clothes anyway,” Vikki added matter-of-factually, taking a bite of her steak that the Salarian waiter brought out. “And don’t worry too much about getting a job right away. There’s plenty of work going on the Citadel, take your time to enjoy what’s here. You lived on Eden Prime long?”

Kiah ate a mouthful of her meal before nodding. “Yes. I was stationed there six months before Adrian. Before that my family had their own farm on another planet. I grew up there, that’s how I knew how to tend the field. I’m not qualified for much else unfortunately.”

Vikki smiled. “Well that doesn’t matter too much either. Unless you have a degree or know people it’s hard to get a high paying job anyway. But there’s always courier work or shop assistant positions available. I’ll check at the hospital and see if I can’t rustle something up for you.”

Kiah beamed. “Thank you so much! I can’t tell you what this means to me!”

“Don’t mention it, kid. Besides, seeing how happy you make my knuckle head brother is repayment enough.” When Adrian rolled his eyes she winked at Kiah, who blushed.

They spent the afternoon walking some more before taking a cab back to Vikki’s apartment. Adrian took all of Kiah’s new things to the room they were sharing and when he came back out he overheard them talking. “…yeah, poor kid seemed to have it rough.” Vikki sat curled up in an armchair and was watching Kiah intently.

“I hadn’t known him long but it felt like he was in some sort of trouble, so I took him under my wing.” Kiah was sitting crossed-legged with her arms folded in her lap. “He said his name was Alex Hazel and that he moved around a lot. I got the impression that it was not by choice.” Kiah folded her hands in her lap and smiled a little. “He really wasn't much of a farmer either!”

Vikki smiled too, but asked, “And didn’t you say that he was the one to save you from that huge machine thing?”

Adrian joined them, taking a seat beside Kiah. “Geth.” When Vikki gave him a questioning glance he explained, “That’s what they’re called, Vick. Anyway he was the one who saved her, but if I’d been just that second bit faster I could have – ”

Kiah put her hand on his arm. “No, love, you couldn’t have. I was just very lucky. We all were.” They looked tenderly at each other for several moments before Kiah turned back to Victoria. “He was _so_ brave. Such inspiring courage from someone so young. I wish I knew what happened to him after we were debriefed.”

Vikki looked thoughtful. “Maybe I can pull some strings. Give me a sec.” She got up and dialed a number on her vid-phone. “You say he was transported to Arcturus Station with you then back here to the Citadel for proper treatment?” Kiah nodded. “Hmm,” Within minutes she had returned to them. “Alexander Hazel. Mercy Infirmary, Room 44, Ward 3, ICU. Dr Michelle is treating him.”

Adrian stared at her incredulously. “You know sis, sometimes you scare the shit out of me!”

Vikki laughed. “I know. He’s still unconscious but the nurses are allowing visitors. You can see him tomorrow if you want.”

Kiah hugged her. “You’re the best! Thanks Vikki, I’ll do that.”

The next day Kiah and Adrian stepped off the elevator at the 3rd ward and walked down the hallway and stopped at room 44. There was only one person in the room. He was lying on his back with leads and wires attached to his temples and chest and covered with bruises as well as a huge bandage around his head.

Kiah gasped, clearly distressed. Adrian put his arm around her and urged her forward. Even though he didn’t think this was a good idea, after all they barely knew the kid, he knew Kiah wanted to see him. He would support her and ignore his misgivings for now. They approached him quietly and took the seats beside his bed. Kiah smoothed his unruly black locks aside and held his hand. “Alex, can you hear me? It’s Kiah.”

Alex didn’t stir but she continued to speak anyway. “I want you to know that you saved me, you saved us all. I want you to come back to us so I can thank you properly.” He still didn’t twitch but the monitor beside them beeped three times. Startled, Adrian turned to see what it was. That’s when three doctors, two human and one salarian, came bustling in. 

“What happened?” One of the humans asked. 

Adrian read her name badge. “Dr Michelle, is it? Well Doctor, she spoke to him and then that machine went off. Is he ok?”

“He’s in a coma,” the other human doctor replied, sarcastically. “Clearly he is not alright.”

Adrian fought the urge to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “I can see that. What I meant to ask is what did that beeping mean?”

The salarian checked something on the machine then turned to Alex. “Brain activity. The patient is recovering. This signals that he can hear us and should be conscious within the next 48 hours.”

“Wow, really?” Kiah said, amazed.

“Yes, medicine has come a long way,” Dr Michelle said, smiling at them kindly, her French accent thick. “Are you family?”

Kiah and Adrian shook their heads. “No, but he saved my life.” 

Dr Michelle stared at her for a few seconds before patting her shoulder. “Then I hope he recovers soon.”

“Me too,” Kiah whispered.

An hour later they left the hospital and when they opened the door to Vikki’s flat Adrian was surprised to see his sister with company. His jaw hit the floor when Admiral Hackett set the cup of coffee on the settee beside him. “I, er, ah Admiral Hackett! Sir!” His words were a jumble as he struggled to make a coherent sentence, let alone a salute. Adrian cursed silently thinking he must sound like a fool.

The Admiral saluted back. “At ease, marine. We’re not on base and you’re not on duty.”

“The Admiral has been waiting for you to get back, Ade.” Vikki rose to her feet and hovered over to Kiah, gently pulling her aside. “We’ll go make some more coffee shall we?”

Hackett shook his head. “Thank you, Miss Smith, but no. What I have to say won’t take long. Shall we go out on the balcony, Staff Sergeant?”

Adrian didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead he only nodded and led him out on the balcony. Once they were outside Hackett stood with his hands behind his back and said, “So, Smith. I have a proposition for you…”


	3. The Man Who Holds The Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alliance is on the hunt for more talent. For what purpose?

# Chapter Three, The Man Who Holds The Power

Gabe hoisted the huge sports bag over his shoulders and tipped the cab driver as he exited the hover car. He sighed happily as he walked up the concrete steps of his private residence in one of the quieter sector of the wards. The garden lights slowly flickered to life as he passed by and he smiled as he picked up a doll and part of a tea set. It seemed Lana and Sophie had been outside today. He was truly glad to be home.

When he opened the front door he dropped the sports bag inside the hall and looked around. The dishes were done and the housework too, by the looks of things. He caught his reflection in the mirror as he paced up the hallway. Gabe tousled his blonde shoulder-length hair and rubbed his chin, which was sporting a 5 o’clock shadow. He’d probably have to shave before he returned for duty. Right now, however, he couldn’t give a rat’s ass.

When he reached the end of the hall Gabe heard Sophie’s soothing voice read out a passage. “And the prince knelt down before Snow White and touched her cheek. She did not stir. When he glanced at the other dwarves he saw the tears roll down their cheeks. ‘Do not fear, my friends, she will wake once more.’ ”

Gabe leaned against the wall lazily and watched as Lana signed, “He’s going to kiss her, isn’t he, Sophie?!” 

Sophie chuckled and said, “Yes, my darling. Shall I continue?” 

Lana nodded and propped herself up with her arms, waiting for Sophie to read the next part. “And then the prince leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers. At long last, Snow White was awake. She yawned delicately and when she saw her prince she smiled, she was saved.”

“And they all lived happily ever after I suppose?” Gabe added, amused. 

As soon as Lana saw him she squealed happily. “Daddy!” Gabe laughed whole-heartedly as he allowed her to launch herself at him. They embraced briefly before he threw her up in the air a few times then sat her on his hip. “Hello, princess. Miss me?”

Lana bobbed her blonde head up and down earnestly. 

“Absolutely every minute, Gabriel.” Sophie rose to her feet and smiled up at them. “Welcome home.” 

Gabe kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Soph. Any messages?” 

Sophie put the story book back on the shelf and shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not.” She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she said slyly, “Did you meet any nice girls while you were out traipsing around the galaxy?”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “You know, Soph, just because you’re old enough to be my mother doesn’t mean you should act like one. No I didn’t meet any nice girls, I was too busy earning your pay check!”

Sophie swatted him playfully and said to Lana, “You see how he treats me, darling? Just terrible!” She tickled Lana as she shuffled past them. “I’ll go put the pot on, Gabriel. And you, young lady, will be going to bed very soon.”

Lana signed “Alright Sophie,” then turned back to Gabe. “I missed you so much, Daddy. Why do you have to go away for such a long time?”

Gabe set her back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He signed back, “I don’t like it either, princess, but I have to look after you and Sophie. Now you get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”

He kissed her forehead and turned out the light. He made his way back to the kitchen and sat down. Sophie had already made him a coffee. After taking a sip he said, “Thanks for that, Soph. I see Lana still prefers to sign instead of speak. Has there been any progress while I’ve been away?”

Sophie poured a cup for herself before sitting down to join him. “Yes, I’ve been trying to get her to use her words but she’s stubborn.” Sophie glanced up at him over her glasses. “Like father like daughter, so they say.” 

Gabe grinned. “Yep.”

The older woman sipped the warm beverage slowly, savoring the scent and flavour. Content, she lifted her steel grey gaze to the man in front of her, the man she loved like her own son. “You know Gabe, It’s been two years since she left. You really should be moving on with your life.” She waited for the inevitable speech patiently.

Gabe sighed, he knew this talk was coming. It always did when he got back, but he couldn’t get angry with her, Gabe knew Sophie only wanted him to be happy. “I know. Fallon made her choice. I hate to think of what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come round that day.”

Sophie sighed sadly, thinking back on the day she had met Gabriel Jackson, his then wife Fallon and their beautiful deaf daughter, Lana. It was the day she was supposed to have an interview for a nanny position. She'd knocked on the door but found that it swung open as she applied pressure. She'd walked in to see Fallon face down in a pile of opened and unopened boxes of pills, drool rolling down her chin and scattered used needles littering the table. Poor baby Lana was screaming in a corner, strapped into a highchair and covered in filth. Gabe had been out on a mission, and was unaware of what had happened. She knew immediately what she'd stepped in on and promptly rang Gabe. He had been furious and aborted whatever assignment the Alliance had given him and high tailed it back to the Citadel. A few days later Sophie had been contacted and hired the next working day. Fallon was nowhere to be seen. “Yes, well. You know my opinion of her was never great, but I always kept it to myself, for you and that little girl in there. You two are the only family I have, and if I ever see that woman again…”

Gabe laughed. “Just warn me when you do, so I can get out of the way.”

Sophie's chuckle was bittersweet. “I’m not sure anywhere would be far enough away. This old girl still knows a trick or two.” Sophie shuffled in her chair and continued. “Anyway, I’m not so sure this home schooling is helping her. She’s highly intelligent, reads books and completes arithmetic in a snap, but shies far too easily from people. She needs to be around other children her age.”

Gabe’s smile faded. “I can’t take that risk, Soph. You know that.”

“I understand, Gabriel, but my point still remains. You can’t keep her a child forever.” Sophie stirred her coffee and changed the subject. “How was Daniel’s funeral? I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, he was a lovely young man.”

He nodded stiffly, this was still a sensitive topic and the memories were still too fresh to really sift through yet. “It was nice. Flowers and a pine coffin. Did you..?”

She shook her head sadly. “I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. Daniel was like an uncle to her. She’ll be devastated.”

Gabe rubbed his eyes wearily. It'd probably be easier if he broke the news to Lana, but that did not mean he relished the thought. “I’ll tell her tomorrow. I’ve only got a week before I have to go back on duty. I was hoping to take Lana out for a couple of days before I leave. The time I spend with her is important.”

Sophie nodded, completely in agreement. “She has another appointment with the specialist tomorrow. Dr Lenasa has been following her condition since we moved here. For a salarian he sure does know a lot about human biology. He did give her a new ear-plant to use. It’s really small and clear-looking. You can’t even tell she’s wearing it.”

“Good,” Gabe nodded approvingly. “That’ll make her feel better. Until she signs to communicate, people won’t even know she’s deaf.”

“Now go in there and tuck the princess in and make sure she starts using her words,” she ordered good naturedly as she started doing the dishes.

“Yes, _Mum…_ ” Gabe said sarcastically, grinning as she threw the dish cloth at him. Gabe ducked and caught it, before taking it back over to her. Before she could leave, he squeezed her hand tight. “Sophie, thank you. I mean it. You’ve been so good to Lana. She needs stability in her life, now more than ever.”

Sophie smiled. “You’re welcome. Goodnight, Gabriel.”

The next day Gabe gave Sophie a few days off and took Lana out and about. They didn’t stray too far from the neighborhood, but their first stop was the specialists then the toy shop, and last to the ice-cream stand. It was here that Gabe broke the news about Danny to her. Lana was inconsolable for the first few minutes, all she could do was cry, but Gabe just held her, rocking her back and forth until she was ready to talk. “Why did the robots hurt Uncle Dan, Daddy?” 

Gabe put his hands over hers. “You need to use your words, Lana. I don’t know why the robots hurt him, but I stopped them from hurting anyone else.”

Lana mulled this over for a moment or two before saying with a slight slur, “They hurt you too, didn’t they Daddy? In here.” She put her hand over his heart. 

He smiled grimly. Only eight years old and she was the most perceptive person he knew. “Yes they did.”

She hugged him. “It’s ok. You’re here with me and far away from them, so don’t be sad, Daddy.”

Gabe was touched. She was the single most important person in his life, everything he did was all for her. He lived for precious moments like these ones and hated every second he was parted from her. “You’re such an innocent child, Lana. I want you to stay that way for a long time.”

He took her hand and they continued walking. She started to sign but stopped mid-sentence to speak. “When are you going away again?”

Gabe sighed. “In another five days.” His heart constricted when he saw her smile wane. “But we have all this time to spend together, just you and me. That’s great, right?”

She sighed and nodded. She hated the time apart more than he did, but for an eight year old she showed much maturity. Whenever he had to leave for an assignment there was no tears or tantrums, just this morose look of longing. She got on with it, just like he did. They spent the rest of the afternoon at home where Gabe read a series of books to her, laughing at her ever inquisitive questions. He loved to watch her think and laugh. 

She showed him all her projects she and Sophie had made for science and art. She especially enjoyed mathematics. She could figure difficult equations and work out problems faster than he could think them up. Gabe was astounded at her reading levels too. She was reading materials that were for twelve year-olds.

On his second last day of his R&R he took her to the park. She loved playing on the swings and slippery slide the most. Sophie had joined them and brought a picnic lunch. Gabe and Lana waved to her, laughing as she waved back from under a huge tree. Gabe pushed her high into the air and grinned from ear to ear when he heard her squeal with delight. The moment lasted for a minute or more when out of the corner of his eye he saw a man put a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. He brought Sophie’s swing to an immediate halt, ignoring her loud protests.

He picked her up and walked quickly to where the man was now sitting beside her. Sophie looked a little alarmed but then her features softened when she realized who he was. Gabe stiffened when he noticed too. His jaw clenched as he said, “Admiral Hackett.”

Hackett, wearing plain clothes, took a sip of Sophie’s homemade lemonade and nodded in his direction. “Jackson.”

Gabe set Lana down and placed a protective arm around her shoulders. He knew the Admiral meant no harm, after all he had the man to thank for this piece of paradise, but he didn’t like people spoiling the moments he shared with his daughter. In Gabe’s experience the Admiral hardly ever brought good news. “What brings you to this part of the Citadel, sir?”

“Forget the formalities, son. I’m not wearing a uniform, am I?” Hackett ruffled Lana’s pigtails. “And how are you, little miss?”

Gabe forced himself to relax. Lana smiled shyly and cuddled closer into Gabe’s leg. “I suppose not,” Gabe answered.

“I’m here because I have something to ask you, Jackson. Got a minute?” 

Gabe nodded and motioned for Lana to eat with Sophie and followed Hackett to another nearby tree. “What’s all this about, Admiral?”

Hackett looked him in the eye and said, “How would you like to really represent the Alliance, son? Your superiors have a proposition for you…”

* * * *

As she stepped off the elevator Ava adjusted her tight, cleavage-plunging black dress. She touched up her make-up as she passed a mirror on her way to the nightclub. When she reached the front entrance, she noticed a huge line-up. Smiling, she pushed ahead to greet the bouncer, ignoring the protests of the others. “Hey Mekka, what’s happening?”

The scarred, brooding krogan looked down at her incredulously, arms folded. “ _Ava?_ Long time no see.”

She slapped him on the back of his hump and laughed. “So true, my friend! I owe you a beer don’t I?”

He eyeballed her and smirked, “Yeah you do, and not the cheap shit either. Being outnumbered by that score of pirates and being ejected out of the escape pod before closing the hatch wasn’t all that fun, no matter what you thought.”

The busty brunette pouted playfully. “I got you out of there in relatively one piece, what more do you want?” She felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she watched him raise an unimpressed brow mound. She folded her arms and pushed her hip out to the side. “I don't know what you have to complain about, Mekka, you're the one with back-up organs. I, on the other hand wasn't so lucky! And besides you did say you were bored,” Ava added mischievously, unable to hold the smile at bay any longer, and when she saw the filthy look he sent her, she clutched both her sides and laughed out loud. After several minutes she said, leaning into his bulky shoulder, “And we completed the job in record time and got our adrenaline rush all in the one hit, as well as one hell of a fat paycheck. What more could two bounty hunters ask for?”

The krogan grunted and rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. She had a point. He and Ava had been friends for many years and for a human, she was extremely powerful and resilient. They had been through a lot together, leading to their mutual admiration and respect. “Never a dull moment with you around, Ava. Never. So what have you been up to this time?”

Ava leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, her long obsidian earrings glittering in the pulsing lights behind her. “Oh a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You know me, always keeping busy.”

Mekka chuckled, she was slick, he had to give her that, but he knew her like the back of his hand, and that deflective tone implied something big had gone down. “So I’ve heard. You need to stay out of trouble, girl.”

Ava laughed impishly. “Aw c’mon, Mekka, where’s the fun in that?!” She smiled up at him and nudged him gently and said sweetly, “So can I go in?”

An aggravated human in the line piped up, “You a stripper honey? You do realize this is a gentleman’s club right?” He made no attempt to hide his sleazy stare as he looked her up and down.

Even though he knew Ava could defend herself, the menacing krogan grabbed the obnoxious man by the front of his shirt and lifted him high in the air. “You got a mouth on you, human. How’d you like me to shut it for you, permanently?”

The man almost crapped himself. “ _Woah_ , hey man, I had no idea she was a friend of yours!” He turned to Ava and said in a fluster, “Look I’m sorry ok! Tell him I’m sorry!” 

Mekka turned to Ava, who only grinned. Slowly he lowered the human to the ground and shoved him roughly back into the line, glaring at the other men in the line, daring them to try something similar. He grunted in satisfaction as they all looked anywhere but at the imposing krogan. Turning his attention back to Ava, Mekka said with a frown, “He did have a point, girl. Why do you want to go into a gentleman’s club, and dressed like that?”

Ava put a hand on her hip and shot him a dirty look. “Fist screwed me. He owes me money from a job and I’m here to collect.”

Mekka looked up at the long line then back to her and grunted, “You got a beef with him too then? I heard Wrex wants a piece of him as well, though I think its blood he’s after. It’s a good thing your father hauled him down to C-Sec, though I don’t think even Erik cold hold him for long.” Mekka grinned which made him look slightly homicidal and said, “I wouldn’t want to be Fist right now.”

He watched as she clenched her jaw tightly. “ _Wrex_ is here? _Shit_ , that's going to complicate things.” She was lost in her thoughts for a moment. “Well could you do me a favor? Stall him. If Wrex gets a hold of Fist before I do, I won’t see a single cred.”

Mekka nodded and pulled the rope that barred entry into the nightclub aside and let her pass. As he tied it off again he said, “I’ll do my best, but I’m no battle master.”

Ava laughed again and kissed his scarred cheek. “Thanks Mekka, you’re the best friend a girl ever had!”

Over the loud protests of the others Ava heard the krogan yell, “Shut your face.” She laughed some more and made her way into Chora’s Den.

Ava strutted through the nightclub with undeniable confidence. She was utterly in her element as she weaved through the sea of humans and aliens with ease, snatching a bright blue drink from a passing asari waitress and bopped her head to the beat of the techno music blasting around her. She sauntered into the flashing strobe lights that flickered and revolved in random directions that accented the grungy feel to the place. Ava took a sip of her drink and looked around to see species of most races flitter about the place, all male aside from the odd barely-there clad asari waitresses, some playing slots, some dancing, some drinking at the neon bar and some getting lap dances. She cruised over to the bar and signaled for the bartender. “Hey Ava, what's up girl?” The cerulean asari winked and Ava grinned back. 

“Hi, Viiznea, is that prick Fist here tonight?” Ava took another sip of her beverage and smiled as the asari chuckled.

She pointed to the back of the room and said, “Oh, Ava, you're a riot. Yeah, he's in the back.”

“Wonderful, thanks babe.” She picked up her drink and was about to head over to the restricted area when she noticed a group of human men strut over to her. She rolled her eyes and watched them size her up, obviously strategizing how to pick her up. She decided to hear them out, after all there was a very slight chance she hadn’t heard every line in the book. Ava watched their eyes boggle as she crossed her legs slowly and licked her lips enticingly, oozing sex appeal. 

She waited only a few seconds before one of them stepped forward. She eyed him up and down. _Not bad looking_ , she thought. _Snappy dresser_. But as soon as he opened his mouth she lost interest. “Baby, you’re the only person in the room who’s as hot as I am. What do you say we go back to my place and burn it to the ground?”

Ava turned to his friends and then back to him. “ _Really?_ ”

The guy just stood there, confused. It seemed he really thought that was a good opening. He backed up a bit and replied, “Honey that's all you need to hear. Let me buy you another drink and we'll take it over to my table.”

Ava raised her eyebrows and said, “Baby the only thing that’s burning is your ego while I shoot it down.” She turned to the others and asked with obvious skepticism, “Do women really _fall_ for that?”

Without waiting for a reply she brushed past them. Surely there was a better time to be had in here? Sweeping further into the nightclub she saw a group of turians, salarians, volus and humans playing a game of Skyllian Five. She knew she should get to Fist as soon as possible, after all if Wrex really was on the warpath she needed to reach him first, but why not milk the arrogant bastard for all he was worth? As soon as she reached the table all bets and discussions ceased. She was the only female present and all looked up with apparent appreciation. “Hey there guys, can I join in?”

One of the turians eyed her up and down warmly. “Why not sugar. How about you slide over here next to me?” 

Ava nodded, mindful of his claws as he patted the spot beside him. One of the volus looked at her over his cards. “I assume you know how to play, Earth-clan?” When she nodded they re-dealt the cards. “200 creds is the minimum wager. Do you agree?”

Ava looked up at him innocently. “Is that all?” 

The others murmured amongst themselves, clearly thinking this was going to be an easy game. What they didn’t know was that she was a master at Skyllian Five and so Ava was happy to let them think she was just a dumb female. “Great, let’s get started!” A salarian piped up, rubbing his webbed palms together.

An hour later there was only two players left; Ava had a huge stack of chips beside her and one of the other turians had a modest stack beside him. Ava looked at her cards and kept her expression blank. She knew she had a good hand and was quite close to winning. She looked up at the turian, a slight twitch of his left mandible giving away that he had a decent hand himself. Deciding it was time to finish this and get to her objective, Ava threw down her cards and revealed her full house hand.

The turian roared in anger, slamming his claws on the table as he realized he had just lost three thousand credits. “ _Bitch!_ You knew exactly what you were doing!” 

He was about to reach for his firearm when one of the humans that were sitting with them put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t, Arak, he’ll kill you if try anything stupid.” He motioned to another krogan bouncer nearby. Begrudgingly, the turian lowered his claw and walked away, spitting insults in his wake.

Ava gathered the chips to her and smirked. “No hard feelings, Arak,” she called after him. “Good game.” She laughed as she got up to cash in her chips. She finally reached Fists’ back office when she encountered one of the crime lord's krogan bodyguards. “And just what do you think you’re doing, woman?”

Ava flicked her hair over her shoulder and stared him down. “I’m here to see your boss about my paycheck.”

The bodyguard looked her up and down. He was about to tell her off when his ear piece crackled. He grunted something back and then stepped aside. “Looks like it's your lucky day, human. Fist will see you.”

She nodded and proceeded into his office. Closing the door slowly behind her, Ava watched as Fist rose from his desk. “And what do I owe for this pleasure, Ava?”

She scowled. “Don’t play cute with me, Fist. I want my money. Now.”

The minor crime boss stroked his double chin thoughtfully. He paced backward and forward before scratching his black buzz cut. It was a long time before he spoke. “No.”

Ava raised an eyebrow. “I’m not asking, Fist.”

This didn’t seem to bother him. In fact he he actually laughed in her face. “You’re used to getting your way, I can see that now.” He walked around his giant glass desk and stood in front of her, a smug look on his face. “You won’t be seeing a single credit and I’ll tell you why. You botched the last job with those thieves, then you pissed off to Exo-Geni on some shit-hole planet without returning my property.”

Ava glared at him. “I didn’t botch the last job. Those thieves you mentioned were kids. I told you before I signed anything that I don’t kill kids. As for what they were stealing, I returned it to the drop point we discussed, _before_ I left the Citadel. You were supposed to wire me back with confirmation and payment. I suggest you look closely at your employees.” Ava began to glow softly as her biotics began to flare up. “I did my job, now give me my money or I’m going to redecorate your office with your innards.” 

Fist backed up, fear in his eyes. He knew she would do it, too. “Fine, fine. Take your fucking money.” He punched in some numbers into his omni tool. 

Almost instantaneously, Ava’s beeped. She checked that he had made the deposit and ceased glowing. With a sly grin she purred, “Pleasure doing business with you, Fist.”

As she strutted out of his office she heard him yell, “Get the hell out of my goddamn club, bitch!” 

Ava rolled her eyes and left the office quickly, she did not want to be present when Wrex showed up. Once she exited the club Ava waved goodbye to Mekka and got into her hover car and drove back to her father’s house. She had been staying here since her own apartment had been undergoing renovations. Erik Masters was a middle-aged man but lacked all appearances of one. He was tall, tanned and well built with only the crinkles at the corner of his eyes giving away that he was in his prime, that and he had a twenty-three year old daughter. The C-Sec officer came out to greet her enthusiastically, his face lighting up when he saw her step out of the hover car. “Ava! Welcome home!” 

She kissed him on the cheek and patted his shoulder affectionately. “This is your home, pop. I moved out years ago.”

“This will always be your home, Avalon. Welcome.” Enossa glided over to them both and embraced Ava gently, her flawless turquoise skin contrasted strikingly against her step-daughter's creamy pink complexion.

Ava smiled at her asari step-mother warmly. “Hey ma. Where’s squid?” 

Enossa chuckled at the pet name Ava had chosen for her half-sister. “You’re sister is inside talking to that charming man in there.”

Ava’s eyes narrowed hesitantly on the asari matron. “What charming man? Why don’t we know him by name?” She snapped her head towards the living room, ready to spring into action.

Erik Masters put a reassuring hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Relax, hon. Nerissa is safe.”

Even though she knew Nerissa was in the safest place on the Citadel, Ava still brushed past them both to see for herself. She sighed in relief when she saw her half-sister laughing happily on the floor. “You see?” Erik laughed. “She’s fine.”

Ava nodded, and without taking her eyes off her sisters' tentacled head, said slowly, “Yes I do see, but who is in there with her?”

Enossa coasted past them and opened the sliding glass door, motioning for them to follow her in. “Well that’s the extraordinary thing. He claims to know you.” 

There was a look in her step-mother’s eyes that made Ava put up her guard again. She reached for a single Tempest and said cautiously, “I know a lot of people, ma.” _And none of them know where you live for good reason_ , she added silently. 

Ava gathered her six year old asari half-sister in one protective arm and trained her gun directly on the stranger. Even though she knew that if her step-mother of all aliens, sensed no evil she shouldn’t worry, but her instincts demanded reassurance. When he turned around arms up in a peaceful gesture, she knew that her parents were shocked. “Ava! Put your gun away!” 

Erik stepped between the man and Ava, and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, Admiral Hackett. My daughter is extremely protective of her family, especially of 'Rissa.”

The admiral spoke to Erik but his eyes never left Ava’s. “That’s quite alright, Erik. I understand.”

Ava did not lower her gun. “You’re on first name basis already, Admiral? Just how long have you been here bullshitting my parents?”

Hackett was about to reply when Enossa interjected serenely, “Calm yourself, Avalon. Lower your gun and we’ll discuss this like civilized individuals. Won’t you sit, Admiral?”

Ava lowered her gun but kept her eyes on him intently, holding onto Nerissa tightly. “I would like to talk some more, but to your daughter. Alone,” Hackett said slowly. 

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Erik said skeptically, glancing at his daughter with an almost smirk.

“Yes, Admiral, are you? This is not your precious Arcturus Station where you are the law.” Ava said dangerously. “I'm under no obligation to you whatsoever.”

Enossa and Erik exchanged amused glances, but Hackett held her gaze and said respectfully, “I am fully aware of this, Miss Master. I would still like to talk to you, if you would allow it?”

They continued to stare at each other for a few moments more before Ava slowly handed Nerissa to Erik. “Then let’s talk, Admiral, and hope that what you have to say piques my interest.” She led him outside and into the scented gazebo of her parent’s backyard.

“I have a feeling it just might.” The Admiral said quietly and sat adjacent from her other and he said carefully, “I know we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Masters. I would like to rectify that.”

Ava smirked. “I just bet you would.”

“We would like to offer you a contract, Miss Masters. One with ongoing benefits…”

* * * *

His heart was pounding, his body was sweating. It was coming for him, and he couldn’t run, couldn’t move. He was going to die.

The giant, pitiless monster of creaking metal lurched forward, its sinister red eye searching. It took only moments before it found its target. He swallowed desperately, this was it, the end. After all this time planning, running, hiding, evading. It was all going to end right here, he was not willing but he knew there were worse ways to go out. By God did he know…

But as he waited for the monster of metal to fire, he watched on in confusion as it hesitated, its laser eye lowering from his chest and moving away from him. He watched as his confusion morphed into horror as the laser found her, helplessly strewn on the ground. Defenceless.

Then there was anger. She was innocent, and kind. She did not deserve death - he would not allow it. All the injustices that had been done, all the lies and the terrible oppression's came crashing down on him and his anger boiled over into unbridled rage. He snapped, all self control abolished and ran at the monster, screaming. Then everything was a white blur, and he could remember no more…

The sunlight glimmered through the curtains and Alex groggily opened his eyes. When he blinked he could vaguely make out three figures standing over him. He heard them talking but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“Doctor, I think he’s coming to.”

“Very good, easy now, he might be confused, violent even.”

Slowly everything came into focus. He wasn’t dead, or at least he didn’t think he was. Then he felt the tubes. Hear the slow hum of machines. The beeping of something beside him. He panicked, pulling at the tubes and wires attached to his bare chest frantically. The moment he felt someone’s hand on his body, restraining him, he automatically flared up his biotics.

“ _Easy_ now, young man. You’re far too weak for that.” The doctor, a woman, restraining him applied more pressure and Alex realised that what she was saying was true. He couldn’t even produce the smallest biotic field and he swore in frustration, that didn’t stop him from trying to throw the other doctor off him though. 

“Get off me! Get the _fuck_ away from me!” Alex screamed, trying to push them away but he was exhausted, so drained. “I won't let you come near me again, I'm _never_ going back!”

“Jamal, another sedative, now!” The lady doctor ordered. The man turned to the metal table that was beside him and injected the serum into Alex's tube. Even as he yelled at the female doctor he stopped thrashing around as two armed guards came rushing into the room.

Before the sedative kicked in he managed to slur at the soldiers. “Yo, GI fuck tart, who do you work for?”

The man cocked his head and said incredulously, “I’m Alliance Navy, you crazy little shit.”

His partner chuckled. “Ha ha, I like this kid! You know you have to behave yourself, or else” he added as he motioned to his gun.

Alex tried to keep his focus on the guard down, but the drugs being pumped into his system was starting to come into effect. There was nothing else left to do but give in. Slowly his muscles relaxed. He wasn’t tired, just calm. He fell limply back into the bed and glared at the three doctors. “What the hell did you just give me?”

“It’s a mild sedative. It won’t make you fall asleep, just help you resist the urge to become violent,” the woman said gently.

“At least physically, anyway,” said the other doctor who had restrained him, annoyed. 

Alex turned to face him and said serenely, “Fuck you.”

The third doctor, a salarian, said, “We regret the usage of such medication, but as you can see it was necessary.”

Alex glared at him. “And just what are you anyway? An alien?”

The three of them stared at him incredulously. “My name is Doctor Edreon, I am a salarian and specialise in physiology of all known species.”

Alex stared at him. “You’re like a frog?”

Doctor Edreon frowned, “We are amphibious, yes but did not evolve from frogs.” He turned to the other doctors. “It seems he has a mild case of amnesia and – ”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I don’t have frigging amnesia. It’s just where I’m from there are no other races, just humans.”

The female doctor stepped forward and Alex read her name badge. She was Dr Michelle. She stepped closer and put her hand over his. “And where is that, Alex? Earth?”

He yanked his hand away. “None of your business, lady. Listen I’ve got to get the hell out of here. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and all that but – ”

“You’re not going anywhere pal. You’ve still got extensive head trauma and – ” The second doctor, Jamal, stood over him and began to explain his condition but Alex didn’t care. “I don’t give two shits! I’ve got things to do. I can't stay here.” He turned to Dr Michelle. “How did you know my name?”

Despite his attitude, she indulged him, smiling as she said, “A young woman and her boyfriend came to see you while you were unconscious. She said you saved her life. It was her that told us your name.”

“Kiah,” Alex murmured. He looked out the window and said, “Is she…?”

“She’s fine,” Dr Edreon said with a smile. 

Alex balked, startled, as the salarian's smile reached the entire length of his face. Then he realised what the doctor was saying and smiled to himself. At least something went right. “Yeah, that’s great. I’m glad she’s ok. Was she pissed at me?”

Dr Michelle shook her auburn bob with a smile, her green eyes twinkling. “Just the opposite, in fact. She was grateful for what you did. She says you saved her life?”

Alex shrugged quickly, blushing a little in his embarrassment. “Maybe, yeah I think so,” he mumbled.

“If you want, I can let her know you’re conscious and she’ll come see you.” This earned the generous doctor her first genuine smile from the biotic teenager.

Alex thought this over and nodded again. “Yeah, ok.” As the doctors shuffled out he grabbed Dr Michelle's arm. “Hey, thanks alright?”

She smiled and nodded. “No problem. Just get well, Alex.”

The next day Alex was introduced to a few other types of species; an asari, turian, volus and even a krogan. He was a little intimidated, especially by the krogan, but eager to learn. The doctors concluded that he had suffered some type of mental trauma and probably raised on a remote planet. The psychologist that was assigned to him got no new information either, as Alex stonewalled her at every turn, clamming up every time she asked about where he came from.

Later that afternoon he received a visit from Kiah. She had tears streaming down her face and wasted no time in hugging him. “Alex! You’re alive, I can’t believe it!” She had dark circles under her eyes, when was the last time she slept?

Alex felt a pang of guilt in his chest, and sat up straighter and smiled weakly back. “Yeah, I know. And you too.”

She sat back in her chair, relief written all over her heart shaped face. “You saved my life. I’m so filled with gratefulness. You really were amazing out there.”

They talked for hours about their life on Eden Prime, reminiscing. Kiah told him all about the briefing, her time spent on the Citadel and about her blossoming relationship with Adrian. Alex talked about his dreams while he was unconscious and about his new-found experience with the other aliens. As they were talking a nurse came in to let Kiah know that visiting hours were finished and that she would have to go home. With a smile she gave her address to Alex. “Make sure you come and see me when you get out, I’ll try and have some work lined up for you, ok? It’s hard to get by on your own in this world.”

He nodded and embraced her a little awkwardly before she left. An hour later the door to his room opened again and a man wearing a military uniform walked in, took a chair and sat next to the bed and proceeded to sit down. Alex wondered nervously who this older man was and why four heavily armed soldiers hovered close by him. Alex wasn’t making eye contact with any of these men, just stared downwards. The law and Alex did not mix.

The man spoke to him in a voice that clearly commanded authority. He was immediately alert. “I am Admiral Hackett of the systems Alliance and commanding officer of the Fifth Fleet. I been led to believe you're one hell of a biotic.”

Alex remembered Kiah telling him about the Admiral. _He is a kind, generous man. I felt like I could trust him right away_ , she had said. Alex licked the corners of his lips nervously, he didn’t trust himself to speak. There was an edge to the Admiral's tone that make the teen feel like he was in deep shit.

Hackett picked up the patient chart and read aloud. “Alexander Hayzel. I’ve heard great things about you. I have an offer for you, young man.”

“It’s just Alex,” he mumbled, still determined not to make eye contact.

Hackett studied him a bit longer before speaking. “Well then, Alex, I came here to tell you personally that the Alliance thanks you for your bravery on Eden Prime and that we want to offer you a scholarship at Grissom Academy.”

_An academy? A school? Why the hell would the Alliance offer him anything? Besides, that'll mean staying in one place. I can’t do that. Come to think of it, I’ve already been here too long. I’ve got to get away, and soon._

Hackett noticed his hesitation but continued. “Here’s the data pad with information about Grissom Academy. Don’t make any decisions right away, just think about it.” The admiral got up and was about to walk away when he paused and added, “It would be a shame to see such talent wasted.”

The next day Alex felt almost one hundred percent better. He was able to move around and perform basic biotics. He also had decided that he was fit enough to leave, whether the hospital agreed or not. He slid out of his bed and began to pull the wires and tubes out of his nose and hands. He only took a single step when the monitoring machine started to beep loudly, sending a current of pain to his head. He retracted painfully, trying not to cry out and alert the staff so instead he biotic punched it. “Fucking loud thing!” He whispered.

He gathered the clothes he had worn on Eden Prime; a grey hoody, tight black jeans, grubby canvas shoes and knitted fingerless gloves. He looked around his room for other ways of possible escape. _Hmm the vents aren’t big enough and the door is guarded by GI fuck tart and the other grunt, aw man!_

Alex turned and saw a window. He really didn’t want to climb out there, it was really high and also night time, he wouldn’t be able to see much from this vantage point but he knew he didn’t have much choice. He quickly pushed the window up and swore as the wind ripped past him, making him shudder violently. He pushed the rest of his slim frame outside and shimmied onto a nearby ledge and began to climb. The wind got stronger the higher he climbed so he cursed as he realised he would have to get back inside. He lowered himself so he could peer into another window, but in a place where he couldn’t be seen and when the coast was clear he used his biotics to break the glass and rolled inside. 

He checked to make sure no one had heard him and when he was satisfied he’d gone unnoticed he crept up to the door. He heard two nurses gossiping about something but they were walking away so he only heard parts of it.

“I heard the kid in ICU tore apart a huge geth!”

“Are you serious?!”

“I know right? But get this, Admiral Hackett himself came around to congratulate him!”

He allowed himself a small smug smile, he was really pulling in the chicks with this hero routine! He waited until they were a decent distance before he proceeded to leave. As he snuck out of the room and followed the hallway toward the elevators he heard a couple of loud thuds behind him. He spun around immediately, but no staff were in sight. He was about to continue when he heard the noise again. 

This time a man in a white coat walked out of one of the rooms. He spotted Alex right away. “Going somewhere Alex?” The man said, a horrible smile on his face. 

Alex looked at him closely. This was not one of his regular doctors and his gut was telling him there was something very wrong. “Where’s your name badge, doc?” Alex asked cautiously.

The man’s features twisted as he grinned evilly. “Oh Genesis, they said you’d be a witty bastard.” The man pulled out a modified M-3 Predator from his side belt and aimed it right at Alex.

Alex inhaled sharply. Hearing the name Genesis sent massive waves of fear and anger through him, making his heart race. In a split second he was stunned with flashbacks of a dark room, a gloved hand with a needle, an explosion and then broken glass. “You can’t take me back,” he whispered. “I won't let you.”

“Oh, I’m not here to take you back, I’m here to kill you!” he cackled.

Alex backed up quickly, looking frantically for someone, anyone. “If you kill me the guards will kill you!”

The man laughed harder still. “Didn’t you hear my little entrance just now? They won’t be an issue because I’ve killed then already!”

This news hit Alex like freezing water thrown on his face. He was no longer afraid, he was pissed off. “So more innocents lost their lives because of me? You’ll pay for that, bastard!” He began to shake angrily, his biotics flaring up all around him.

The man’s laughter soon died. He knew Alex was no ordinary biotic so he quickly tried to rush him before he could launch an attack. He was successful, tackling him to the ground. The two scuffled and rolled around the floor, both fighting for a dominant position.

The torturous training he had been forced to endure kicked in for Alex and he managed to get the upper hand and managed to get behind the man then slipped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a rear naked choke. Five minutes later the doctor-come-assassin was unconscious. Alex threw the assassin off him, but tripped. The assassin’s dead weight made him too heavy to hold, sending him crashing through the window. Alex just stared, sick in his gut, before the sound of an alarm and running footsteps brought him back to reality. He dusted himself off, pocketing the M-3 Predator and took the elevator down. 

As soon as he reached the bottom he threw his hood over his face and tried to meld with big groups of people. When he was finally out of the hospital he walked to a secluded area, sat down and just cried. _What the hell is happening?! It doesn’t matter where I go, they always find me, fuck!_

Wiping the tears away, Alex tried to think rationally. Maybe he could go to Kiah. She might be able to get him out of here. No, he’d probably put her in danger too. He thought for a few minuets. Didn’t she tell him that her boyfriend, what was his name? Adrian, yes, Adrian was leaving the Citadel on a secret mission. Maybe that was his ticket out of here. Alex backtracked to find the VI directory for this quarter. The VI, Avina, gave him directions to Kiah’s residence and he slipped away into the night.


	4. The Perugia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Hackett reveals his plans for his new team. Not everyone is happy about it.

# Chapter Four, The Perugia

Two days after the Admiral's visit to Vikki's flat, Adrian was looking at his frothed face in the oval mirror of his sisters' bathroom over a silky, jet head, jaw tilted in an upward angle. Sitting on the banister between his legs with a razor in one hand, shaving gel in the other, was Kiah. She was wearing one of his shirts opened wide enough for him to get a good look at her cleavage, though the shirt was more like a tent on her small frame.

She moved the razor blade against his cheek and pressed down, concentrating on the task at hand. When she was done, Kiah sat back and admired her handiwork. Satisfied, she wiggled away from the mirror so Adrian could have a look as well. The burly man nodded in approval. “Wow, that's exactly the way I would have done it, thanks honey.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips and laughed when she squirmed out of the way, annoyed at being covered in shaving gel.

“Adrian!” She squealed in protest.

Adrian grinned and leaned in to nuzzle her neck playfully, his whole body vibrating with laughter as she squealed more, trying in vain to push him away. “What was that? I couldn't understand what you're saying over all that whinging!”

Between squeals and giggles, she managed to gasp out, “I... said... st.. st.. _stop!_ ”

Adrian ignored her a little longer before finally pulling away, laughing again when he saw her neck and all up her left cheek was smeared with the blue gel. “Oh, now _that's_ attractive!”

He chuckled when she swatted him as hard as she could – which wasn't very hard. “You're an ass!” But the insult didn't meet her eyes, he knew she was only joking. 

“But you love me all the same,” he said and kissed her again. For half a second she tried to push him away again but soon gave in, sighing as she leaned into the kiss, her arms looping around his neck. Adrian had only intended on being playful, but his body had jumped to conclusions and when Kiah felt him stiffen against her stomach she chuckled against his lips.

She was just about to snake her hand into the front of his military slacks when she was jolted back into reality by a loud, deliberate cough from behind them. “ _Really_ guys? Can't you keep that horniness in the bedroom? Some of us haven't been laid in months!”

“Oh!” Kiah exclaimed, her cheeks burning pink. 

Adrian groaned in frustration. Still holding Kiah he turned to meet his sister's annoyed scowl. “You know you have _the_ worst timing, sister dear.”

Vikki's eyes narrowed on him. “And you really need to buy me a set of earmuffs. If I have to hear you two going at it again tonight I'll have to move out!” She turned to Kiah who was going even more pink. “Seriously, was that all you guys did back on Eden Prime, fuck?” Before Adrian could respond she pinched the bridge of her nose and said in a rush, “Wait, wait, wait! I don't want to know!”

She ignored her brothers' mocking laughter, and adjusted her name badge on her uniform collar. “Anyway, I'm heading off to work now. I'll check in with Dr. Lenasa and see if he's filled in that intern position for you Kiah.” The petite girl nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Vikki was about to leave them when she saw that Adrian was dressed in his military uniform. “And where are you going? Aren't you still on shore leave?”

Adrian shook his head ruefully. “Nah, the Admiral's got me on assignment now. I'm due in his office in two hours.”

Vikki shrugged. “Ok, then we won't be expecting you for dinner tonight?”

“Afraid not, Vik. See you later.” Adrian waved as she exited the flat. Then he turned to Kiah and smiled. “Now where were we?”

* * * *

An hour later, Adrian arrived at the Citadel Alliance headquarters. It had been a while since he'd been here, since he mostly took his briefings from either Arcturus or over a comm link. Nothing had changed, he mused, looking at the walls leading to the Admiral's office. There were framed medals and trophies from retired military officials and even other commendations from other species' military. Further along there were also portraits hanging at different heights of the Admirals predecessors, and directly opposite Hackett's office, a portrait of the man himself. Adrian secretly dreamed of one day having the honour of his own portrait hung here as well.

With a pensive expression, Adrian pushed open the door leading into Hackett's office and smiled at the red-headed receptionist. “Hi, Beverly.”

She looked up from her computer and eyed him appreciatively. “Staff Sergeant Smith.” Her lips curved in a warm smile. “The Admiral is expecting you.”

“Thank you, Beverly. I -” Adrian was going to add something else when he heard the door open behind him. He turned mid-sentence to see Ava, of all people, saunter inside. He scowled when he saw her grin. Clearly she was amused by his disapproval of her. “And just what in the _hell_ are you doing here, merc?”

Ava grinned wider as she took a seat in the receptionists' room. “I missed you too, brown-noser.” She laughed harder when he rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

Adrian silently bit back the reply he was burning to say, which was probably wise considering the next person to enter the office was his superior. Sergeant Major Gabriel Jackson nodded curtly at Adrian and Ava in acknowledgement before strutting over to Beverly with purpose. He said with a salute, “Sergeant Major Jackson reporting as Admiral Hackett requested, Ma’am.” 

Beverly smiled back. “At ease Sergeant. I’ll inform the Admiral that you’re all here.” Her eyes swept over the three of them curiously as she pressed a button on the intercom and informed Admiral Hackett that his interviewees had arrived. 

“Thank you. Send them in, Beverly,” Hackett answered in a polite tone. 

The intercom clicked indicating he had hung up. Beverly rose to her feet and walked around her desk, motioning for the three of them come closer. “The Admiral will see you all now. This way please.” Gabe took the lead, followed by Adrian, then Ava in a single file. Beverly guided them to the Admiral's attached office and there she left them before saying with a smile to Adrian, “Pleasure to see you again, Staff Sergeant.”

Ava smirked as Adrian looked a little uncomfortable at being flirted with. Gabe ignored the whole incident with a serious deepening of his brow and opened the door at Hackett's request. Again in single file, they entered the office where Adrian and Gabe both stood at attention, as the white-haired Admiral stood behind his desk, returning the gesture. Ava leaned against the wall behind them, her arms crossed casually. “At ease,” Hackett commanded as he walked around the front of the desk and hoisted one thigh halfway and leaned against it.

His steel blue eyes looked them over critically, his tone solemn. “Now, you all know why you’re here. I approached each of you individually and asked you to be part of a team to gather intelligence on the recent geth activity. I’d like you to meet that team.”

The Admiral watched rigorously as they absorbed this new piece of information. Ava realised first, and for the first time since she entered the Citadel Alliance HQ, her grin vanished. The Sergeant Major was next and made an 'oh' expression but said nothing, and then Adrian realised himself, looking between Ava and Gabe, stunned. Hackett clasped his hands in front of him, patiently waiting for someone to speak. He did not expect it would be the Staff Sergeant. “Who is to lead the team, Sir?”

Hackett nodded, knowing this question would be imminent. He stared the marine down sharply. “Excellent question, Staff Sergeant. For his outstanding conduct on Eden Prime Sergeant Major Jackson has been selected for this endeavour.” The Admiral turned his attention to Gabe, nodding respectfully. 

Gabe saluted then glanced over at Adrian, catching a brief glimpse of disappointment in the bigger marines eyes, and realised that the Staff Sergeant must’ve thought that he would be leading the team. “It would be an honour, Admiral. Thank you.” He chose to ignore Ava's chuckle, which earned her a sideways glare from Adrian.

“Is there going to be a problem here?” the Admiral asked with a frown, looking between Ava and Adrian. If a problem was going to arise, he'd rather his soldiers – and hired help in the mercenaries case – speak up about it now.

“No, Sir.” Adrian replied automatically. Hackett admired the man's dedication and hoped he really meant it. Ava just shrugged and shook her head. Hackett wasn't so sure about her, but from what he had come to know about the feisty brunette, she didn't hold back anything. For some reason this made the Admiral's lips twitch in amusement.

Hackett stared at them acutely for several moments, before nodding and looking back at Gabe. “I’m allowing you the use of a Fifth Fleet cruiser, the SSV Perugia. Captain Simanovich will remain in command, but will take you where you need to go. All intel gathered will go through the comms on board. Questions?”

A flicker of recognition sparked in Gabe's eyes. “Yes, Sir. Does Captain Simanovich know about it yet?” The Sergeant Major pushed down the excitement rising within him. 

Hackett nodded. “She has been briefed in full, and has agreed to allow the use of her vessel. Seeing as how you served on the Perugia before being transferred to the Normandy, I thought a ship and crew you were somewhat familiar with would be best.”

Gabe smiled with obvious pride. “Yes Sir. I can think of no better cruiser. The Perugia is a fine ship, and the Captain is a fine officer deserving the respect shown to her by her crew.” He looked to see his new team members' reaction and felt a surge of disquiet, they did not seem thrilled. As much as he looked forward to serving on board the Perugia again, Gabe wasn’t too sure about Ava and Adrian working together. He would have to address the situation as soon as possible.

As if sensing his apprehension, Ava switched gears, all business now. “Okay, we have a ship. How about land ops? We’ll obviously need something for going planet-side.”

Hackett turned to her with raised eyebrows, almost surprised that she was offering suggestion, despite the hint of sarcasm. “All Alliance cruisers are outfitted with the M35 Mako. It’s armed with a 155mm mass accelerator cannon and coaxial mounted machine gun, which should be more than enough to care of any threats the geth may show. Any other questions?”

“Just one, Sir. How long are we expected to work together?” Adrian asked as he eye balled Ava, the disdain clearly present in his voice.

Hackett now turned his full attention on him, his previous concerns now being highlighted once more. “As long as it takes, Staff Sergeant. Is that going to be a problem?”

With a clenched jaw and eyes trained on the Admiral, Adrian said with determination, “No, Sir.”

Admiral Hackett knew what Adrian's concerns were – he was Alliance through and through. Why were they using a mercenary for such a sensitive operation? Hackett had his own reasons, and the Admiral was not obligated to share them. He was, however, looking forward to seeing reports on how the Sergeant Major was going to keep them in line. “Good. Then we’re done here. Report to the Perugia in the docking bay immediately. Dismissed.” Hackett saluted as he walked back around and sat at his desk. Gabe and Adrian returned the salute before turning to leave. Ava merely nodded as she trailed after them.

The three of them walked in silence to the hover car waiting for them outside the building. An Alliance officer saluted and opened the door for them. Once everyone had slid inside and the officer started up the engine, Gabe cleared his throat and turned to his new team mates, saying with a rigid stare, “Whatever issues you two have with one another, or even myself, lets hear them now. We have a huge assignment to get on with and I need you both at optimal performance.”

“Optimal performance?” Ava laughed mockingly. “Well _that_ was formal, even for an uptight asshole like you, pretty boy.”

Adrian spluttered at her outright insubordination. Gabe, however, didn't seem at all shocked. He watched her smirk defiantly for a few moments and then said finally, “So that's how it is, Ava? Fine, just do what you're told and keep that sassy mouth shut and we'll get on just fine.”

Ava leaned back into the leather seat and put her hands behind her head and nodded. “Works for me.”

Adrian stared incredulously at the both of them. Never in his career in the Alliance did a marine speak to another marine so blatantly. This was not how the chain of command worked. The steadfast marine took a moment or two to collect his thoughts and was beginning to realise that this wasn't going to be like any mission he had ever been on, and couldn't help but wonder if this was the reason why he'd been overlooked as leader for this mission. When Gabe turned to him, Adrian sat at attention. “No, sir. Whatever issues I have, I promise they won't interfere with the mission at hand.”

Gabe crossed his arms and stared at him as well. “Are you sure, Smith? You might not get another chance.”

Adrian returned the stare stubbornly. “Yes, sir.”

Gabe nodded. “Alright then. Lets do this.” It didn't take them long to reach the docking bay where Captain Simanovich was waiting. After saluting each other, the captain reached out and shook Gabe’s hand. “Sergeant Major, it’s good to see you again. I, ah, I heard about Danny, he was a good man. Everyone liked him while he was here,” she said, bowing her blonde head slightly.

Gabe’s jaw tightened briefly, then he moved aside to introduce his team mates. “Thank you, Ma’am. This is Staff Sergeant Adrian Smith, and Ava Masters.”

Adrian saluted, while Ava gave a single nod. “Yes, Admiral Hackett briefed me, but it’s a pleasure to meet both of you. He also allowed me to read the report from Eden Prime. The three of you handled yourselves quite remarkably. And you saved almost everyone.”

“No, not everyone,” Adrian said, glancing carefully at Gabe. Adrian had seen men die in combat, but he could never imagine what it was like to lose a close friend.

The Captain must’ve realised what Adrian was implying, because she looked down and nodded slightly. “Yes, of course.” And after a moment of awkward silence, she lifted her head and spoke again. “Now, shall I show you to your quarters?” The three of them and nodded and followed her onto the Perugia. 

Gabe smiled as the smell of grease and new upholstery assailed his nostrils. He was home. When he first joined the Alliance thirteen years ago he had been assigned to the Perugia, and it had been where he first met Danny. There were so many good memories here and he felt himself visibly relax. He passed many faces, some old, some new, welcoming him back while others offered their condolences. 

As they passed the mess hall, they were centre stage to the crews open curiosity. This was highlighted further when all the men, aside from a few, in the mess actually stopped to checked out Ava and Adrian as they walked past them. Must have been too long between shore leave, Gabe mused. He was astutely aware that the curvy mercenary and muscular Staff Sergeant working with him were striking, but he was not in the slightest bit interested nor envious about his own athletic build. The crew whispered and stared, but a quick glare form the Captain got them back to work post-haste. Ava smirked smugly, while Adrian's jaw tightened uncomfortably.

After a few moments, they had reached their quarters. The captain swiped her hand over a panel and the door slid open with a whoosh. “You can stow your gear here, and your weapons in the armoury down in the shuttle bay. When you’re ready, come up to the CIC,” Captain Simanovich explained to them though her gaze lingered on Gabe. He nodded and waved as she walked away. 

* * * *

Adrian, Gabe and Ava took the captain's advice and went to inspect their living quarters, which looked more or less like a bunkhouse, with Adrian and Gabe on the men's side and Ava on the women's side. After stowing their gear they took the lift down to the armoury and used the assigned lockers to store their weapons. Now that the inauguration was complete, Gabe said, “I'm going up to the CIC to catch up with the captain, you two play nice, or better yet, stay away from each other.” 

Ava glanced at Adrian and pouted, “You know how to take the fun out of everything, don't you, pretty boy?” Gabe gave her a warning look and the mercenary sighed loudly. “Fine, fine. Where the hell is the gym then? I'd really like to hit something.” Gabe pointed out the way before taking the lift back up to the CIC. Adrian breathed a sigh of relief and took the lift after Gabe back up to his quarters. He really needed some space to think so he started to put away his gear, thinking of Kiah the whole time. A big part of him resented the fact that they’d only just started getting serious, and now he was away from her. He knew this was part and parcel of being a soldier and another reason he'd stayed single for so long, but all the same, he vowed that when he was done aboard the Perugia he would spend every waking moment with her.

Ava took another few turns before she reached the gym, noticing with an appreciative smile, that there were a few men and women already working out. There wasn't any music but the familiar sounds of grunts, exertion and the smell of sweat relaxed Ava in an instant. She loved working out, anything requiring the use of her muscles. It invigorated and liberated her while helping to relieve stress. And the view isn't bad either! She thought with a sly grin as one of the men, who was fairly well built approached her. “Can I help you, Ma’am?”

Ava looked him up and down for a few seconds, clearly checking him out, before looking around the rest of the room. “Mm, maybe. I was told this is where I could work out.”

The marines lip curved up at the corners. “Yes, Ma’am, it is. Do you need some gear?” he asked, indicating to her plain clothes, checking her out as well.

“Nope,” Ava replied as she undid her shirt to reveal the black singlet underneath. “I'm all good.” She grinned when she saw the man ogling her as she strut over to the boxing bag. Ava strapped up her hands and knuckles then circled the hanging bag, her focus on strategic areas to hit. Once satisfied, she saw out of the corner of her eye that three men lifting weights had stopped to watch her. Without preamble she punched the bag hard, creating a huge dent in the centre. She followed up with two more jabs, one to the top left and another to the lower right, her long braid flicking with each hook to the punching bag.

There was a hushed discussion over by the weights between the three men before one of them came over to her. “Do you need a hand little lady?” he asked, a smug grin on his face. Ava ignored him and continued punching the bag. Then he stepped closer. “I could uh, show you some different techniques…”

Ava stopped and looked at him, sweat at her brow trickling down her temple. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but his attitude annoyed her greatly, so she stepped back and indicated for him to punch the bag. He did, and the force of it moved the bag back a foot. He looked at her, his smug smile getting bigger.

“Not bad,” she murmured, hands on her hips.

“Not bad? That was just a punch,” he said dramatically, the insult showing in his face. He turned back to the bag and side-kicked it, which moved it a little more. He turned back expectantly, the smug smile returning. “You think you can top that?”

Ava shrugged. “Lets find out. Would you mind holding the bag? I rather not have it move on me.”

The man chuckled arrogantly and gripped either sides of the bag. Ava stood back a bit, steadying herself before letting fly a roundhouse kick which not only moved the bag, but knocked the crewman on his ass. His friends over by the weights burst out laughing, along with the rest of the room who had all stopped to watch the cocky crewman up the ante. The crewman got to his feet, incensed, and took steps towards Ava with his fists clenched.

“Stand down, Private!” The man Ava had spoken to first said, as he walked over to them. “Back off Johnson,” he said more firmly as he got closer. Johnson glared at Ava for a few seconds, before storming back to his friends. She could hear them laughing still, and watched him shove one of them roughly.

“You’ll have to excuse Private Johnson, miss?” The man said with a pause, handing her a towel and waited patiently for Ava to introduce herself.

Ava took the offered towel and wiped down her face, cleavage and arms. She smoothed her hair back and guzzled some water before saying somewhat distractedly, “Masters. Ava Masters.”

“Miss Masters. Yes, Johnson has a bad habit of showing off. Probably his only grace is that he is very calm and collected under fire.” The man cast a semi scowl in Johnson's direction.

“That’s fine. I enjoyed knocking him on his ass,” Ava replied with a laugh.

The man looked at her for a moment, unsure how to take that. She seemed to not really care all that much. “Right… well, it certainly seems that you know how to handle yourself. Where’d you learn to kick like that?”

“My… father. He works on the Citadel, and felt that it might be good for me to learn self defence.” Eager to change the subject, Ava now directed her full attention on the man in front of her. The compelling stare clearly made him uncomfortable. “So what do they call you?”

The man crossed his arms and replied with a slight stutter. “Sa.. Sarge. My parents named me ‘Sergei’. It used to get mispronounced often as ‘Serge’. As in power surge. When I got stationed here, my rank was Sergeant, so the nickname stuck.” When Ava raised an eyebrow he swallowed quickly. “Anyway, you have a nice day, Miss Masters.”

Ava smiled and checked out the Sergeant's firm, muscular backside before turning back to the boxing bag, ignoring the glare from Johnson from across the room.

* * * *

Gabe had made his way up to the CIC, where Simanovich was waiting. Gabe looked around and found the captain standing behind one of the navigators, seeming to be calculating something. He waited patiently for her to notice he was there. After several moments she looked up and said with a smile, “Ah, Gabe, there you are. Did Admiral Hackett give you any coordinates or suggestions of where to start?”

Without really thinking about it, Gabe replied with a smile, “As a matter of fact, he did, Anja.” With an awful cringe he realised too late that he'd broken the chain of command by addressing her by her first name. Thankfully, the only person within earshot was the navigator and he only grinned. “I mean, Captain, the Admiral said that Alliance Intelligence received reports of geth activity in the Armstrong Cluster. I'd start scanning there, Ma'am.”

Anja chuckled softly at Gabe’s slip of tongue. “It’s alright, Sergeant Major. We’ll set a course for the Skyllian Verge, with a brief stop in Argos Rho to refuel.” Then she stepped a little closer. “You’ll find that things haven’t changed much in two years,” she whispered, standing there for a few more seconds before walking away. 

Gabe cleared his throat and realised he was smiling. He took a moment to regain his composure, before following her. The Sergeant Major watched as she told her Executive Officer the coordinates, who then passed them on to the navigator. Gabe was pleased to see that everyone turned and listened to her when she spoke, which showed how much respect the crew had for her, even though she was only thirty eight.

Anja finalised instructions to the crew before looking around at Gabe. “It’ll be a few weeks until we reach Argos Rho, then a few more after that we’ll reach Armstrong.” Gabe nodded, finding no fault with this plan. “I’d like to hear how you’ve been, and more about Eden Prime. Perhaps we could get something from the mess?” She asked lightly, frowning down at a data pad that had been passed to her by the XO, then looked up again at the Sergeant Major.

Gabe smiled. “Lead the way, Ma’am.” They reached the mess and ordered some food before taking a seat.

Once they were comfortable, Anja settled back in the metal seat with her hands behind her head. “So how have you been?”

The blonde man chuckled as he leaned on his forearms over the table. “Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said not much has changed. I’ve been good.”

Anja returned the smile. “And how’s that little angel of yours?”

At the mentioning of his daughter, Gabe's face lit up like the fourth of July. “Lana’s doing well. She still doesn’t like talking, her speech is still a little slurred, but we’re getting there.”

Anja thanked the cook who had brought out their food and then back to Gabe with a frown. “Does she know about…”

Gabe shook his head, knowing exactly what Anja was getting at. “All I told her is that her mother left. She seems happy with that for now, and Sophie is with her when I’m not. I’m not looking forward to telling her why her mother left.”

Anja was silent for a moment, seeming torn with her thoughts. “Has there, you know, been anyone else since she left?”

Gabe struggled to stifle a laugh as he swallowed. “No, no. No-one. Well, except for… you know.”

She only smiled wider before changing the subject. “So, Eden Prime. That was quite a mission.” Then she saw Gabe’s jaw clench slightly. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”

“It’s okay, really. It’ll be good to talk about it,” Gabe replied, angry with himself for getting worked up about the implication of Danny's death. He gave her his take on how it all went down. From meeting Ava and Adrian, to Danny's death, right up to the part where they encountered the armature at the space station. Anja sat and listened intently, and when he got to where Danny was killed, she put her hand on his. When he finished, Gabe noticed that there were a few more people in the mess hall. He leaned in a little and said quietly, “He knew, you know. Danny.”

“He knew? But how?” she asked, surprised.

“Uh-huh. He used to give me grief about it,” Gabe chuckled, smiling at the good memories. There were many of them, he thought with a good feeling.

Anja scratched her head, confused. “But he never reported it?”

Gabe shook his head. “No. I think he was glad. And he never liked her.”

“Wow. Just, wow.” Anja said, smiling as Gabe rose to his feet. She finished up her food and said, “Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah, I'm a bit tired. Think I might head back to the bunk. Thanks for the chat, Anja. It really is great to be back serving on the Perugia.” Gabe saluted then winked. “And seeing you was just another incentive to serve.”

The captain laughed out loud at that and watched him leave the mess. On his way back to his quarters, Gabe decided to check in on Ava and Adrian before he turned in. He hoped the two of them had decided to take his advice and keep away from each other. He knew where he'd find Ava.

He took the lift down to the gym and stepped off as the green light above dinged. He was about to look around when he heard loud cheering further along the corridor. He followed the sound to see crewmen and women crowded around the boxing ring that was in the centre of the gym. He pushed his way through the crowd to get a better look when he saw a familiar face. “Sergei? That you?”

The broad marine beamed. “Gabe? You’re the only person who calls me that, ya know. Man, it’s good to see you! Whoa, sorry,” he said, standing at attention and saluting him.

Gabe waved him off. “At ease. Still a Sergeant, I take it?”

“Yep. I don’t mind, saves me doing all the paper work of the desk jockeys. And you! A Sergeant Major.” Sergei slapped him jovially on the back.

“Yeah. Happened earlier this year,” Gabe replied, shaking his hand. “So what’s going on here?” he asked, indicating to the ring.

“Oh, this? Just a little fun. That young woman you came on board with knocked one of our Privates on his ass. So now there’s a small competition going. Masters is quite skilled.”

Gabe groaned as he shook his head and stepped closer to the ring. Leave that woman alone for five minutes... The crowd was cheering over the sounds of _thwack_ , _crunch_ , _fwumph_ and _oof_. He watched with an unimpressed rolling of his eyes as Ava and another young woman exchanged blows, seemingly even matched. He noticed that Ava had some slight bruises starting to form, as did the other woman. Then he saw what he assumed to be the other opponents, sitting off to the side, each of them holding ice packs to various parts of their bodies, fat lips, bruises and one even had an arm in a sling. Ava's handiwork? Gabe shook his head incredulously, trust her to make enemies as soon as she boards. Satisfied that she was not harassing his Staff Sergeant, Gabe turned to leave when he heard someone call out to him as the cheering began to die down.

“Hey, Jackson. Care to step into the ring?” It was Ava, apparently the round was over as the other woman stepped out of the ring with a limp. Ava was sporting a bloodied nose, and sweating profusely, yet still she was smirking, always smirking.

Gabe was acutely aware that all eyes were on him. He did not appreciate it. “No thanks, I don’t box,” he replied with a warning glare, which earned him a few boos from the crowd. 

Gabe couldn't have cared less what the crowd thought, but turned when he heard Sarge yell back good naturedly at them, “Hey! The Sergeant Major has more than proved himself capable, if you all remember.”

The crowd mostly conceded Sergei's point, but there were more than a few young bloods who were too rapt and impressed with Ava's winning streak to care. They wanted to see the legendary Gabriel Jackson go head to head with her. Gabe looked from them then back up to Ava, whose face was practically split from ear to ear as she beckoned him over with a sweep of her head. She was a very bad influence, and for a split second he found himself doubting the judgement of his superior. “I prefer to fight when I have to, not for the pleasure of others,” he said curtly as he turned on his heel and stormed off.

As he reached his quarters, Gabe practically ripped the button off the wall that released the doors. He could still see her stupid smirk, egging the younger crew members on. He had to remind himself that she was not Alliance, not military at all and that he had to set an example. He would not be undermined by one smart ass, no matter how well she fought. All at once he understood Smith's frustrations.

As if sensing his thoughts, Adrian stepped out of his room. He took in Gabe's mood and furrowed his brow. “You alright, Sir?”

Gabe ran an irritated hand through his long blonde hair and exhaled loudly. “Ah, it's fine, Smith.”

Adrian knew there was something playing on his mind but thought for now he should probably leave well enough alone. “Alright. Night, Sir.”

Gabe waited until the doors to the Staff Sergeant's quarters closed properly before he muttered, “Yeah, you too Smith.”

* * * *

Over the next few weeks, Hackett's chosen adjusted quickly to life aboard the Perugia. It wasn't exactly a small ship but until they went planet-side, there wasn't really all that much to do. Ava spent most of her time in the gym when she wasn’t eating or sleeping. There were only a few injuries reported to the traveling physician, mostly due to the hushed illegal bets taken on, and against, the hardy biotic.

Adrian spent the majority of his time down in the shuttle bay with the armourer and mechanics. Back on Earth, Adrian used to help his father do up sports cars and even some military jeeps. In fact, if he hadn’t become a soldier, Adrian was going to become a mechanic for the Alliance. His interest was genuine and the mechanics on board appreciated the Staff Sergeant’s input. 

Gabe was probably the most at ease, moving about the ship comfortably and making conversation with the marines – some new and some fresh faces. Sometimes he worked out, avoiding the exercise room when Ava was present, giving Hackett updates on where they were and filling out general reports. When he wasn't doing these things, Gabe spent time talking to the captain, reminiscing about past missions and battles.

It was a few hours later the pilot reported over the ships intercom that they were approaching the Argos Rho cluster. Anja, who had been in animated conversation with one of her Privates, cut herself of mid-sentence to thank the pilot and order him to head to the re-fulling station. Once the ship had been re-fuelled, the pilot picked up a distress call from the planet Metgos. “Well, looks like our new arrivals might get their first clue of where to go now. Alert the Sergeant Major and his team to meet me in the Comm Room,” Anja said, and turned on her heel.

“Understood, Ma'am,” the pilot replied curtly and proceeded to do as he was commanded.

Anja waited impatiently for several minutes before Gabe, Adrian and Ava appeared in the doorway. She ushered them in and pressed a button near the huge screen behind her. “Have a listen to this.” The message was unclear, coming through broken and garbled, cutting in and out and then nothing but static. Gabe looked grim, he had a sudden feeling of deja-vu and reminded himself he was not aboard the Normandy. Anja looked at them all sternly. “I think this qualifies for what Admiral Hackett told me about Eden Prime - a blocked or false signal. We should investigate. What do you all think?” 

Adrian nodded enthusiastically, pumped to be able to finally start the mission. “Yes, Ma'am. I would recommend preparing the Mako and assembling a team to go planet-side.”

Gabe nodded, agreeing with Adrian. He saluted and said, “Permission to lead the team, captain?” 

Immediately after Adrian asked eagerly, “Permission to join the Sergeant Major, Ma’am?”

Anja smiled warmly. She never got tired of young people's enthusiasm. “This is why Hackett assembled you all isn't it? Permission granted, thank you.” She saluted them both and turned expectantly to the mercenary. “Will you be joining your comrades, Miss Masters?”

“According to my contract, I’m required to assist them. So yeah, I’m coming,” she replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. The captain chose to ignore her flippant tone.

“Great. Just great,” Adrian muttered quietly under his breath.

Gabe sighed. “Is there going to be a problem here, Smith? Because if you two are going to be at each other’s throats, you can both stay here. Understood?” Adrian shook his head and Ava just stared at them. Captain Simanovich sent them a reprimanding scowl, then a sympathetic one to Gabe before saluting them and leaving the Comm Room. There was an awkward silence before Gabe stared them both down. “I guess not. Keep it together and lets go.” They followed him in silence down the elevator and into the armoury.

The three of them went about preparing themselves in silence, getting into their armour and grabbing their weapons. As they got ready to get in the Mako, Gabe saw the captain standing in front of it. “Good luck down there, Corporal Baker will drive for you. The planet is a Class 2 hazard, little to no oxygen. And it’s also prone to volcanic activity, so be careful,” She added, looking to each of them. Then they got into the Mako and waited for the drop.


	5. Ambuscade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hackett's team has gone planet side ready to piece together this synthetic mystery.

# Chapter Five, Ambuscade

Once the Perugia broke through Metgos' atmosphere and neared the ground, the shuttle bay hatch opened and the Mako rolled back. The vehicle thrummed and vibrated in time with the revving of the engines, bringing a small grin to Adrian's lips. He felt _alive_. Corporal Baker gripped the wheel and gunned the accelerator as soon as all six wheels touched the ground, causing the all-terrain tank to lurch abruptly before propelling forward. Baker intensified his grip and changed gears, and the Mako pushed uphill effortlessly, holding the traction with ease. “Sorry about that, sir. It happens a lot,” Baker apologised, glancing briefly at his superior.

Gabe shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Doesn't bother me, Corporal. This is your baby. Just don't get us killed!” Adrian, Gabe and Baker laughed out loud but Ava merely rolled her eyes, though all three were impressed by the Corporals handling of the vehicle.

The Perugia zoomed off loudly, and the Mako sped along the volcanic terrain. The two marines and the mercenary bounced up and down, back and forth and even into each other as the tank scaled the jagged and course rocks of Metgos' uneven surface, and gasped as the ground began to shake from time to time. After several minuets, Baker scanned the area with a few clicks on his dashboard, and a mini three dimensional map of the red rock, mineral rich surface appeared before them. Baker pointed to a centralised area on the map, which looked a bit like a crater and said, “The co-ordinates point to here, Sergeant Major. I'll plot a course now.”

Gabe nodded, impressed with the technology. “Sounds good to me, Corporal. Lets do this.” It didn't take too long to reach the site of the co-ordinates, though the terrain was far from ideal. With a worried look, Gabe noticed that the surface was trembling a bit more violently the closer they got, and for a brief moment the Sergeant Major was relieved that the helmet he wore covered most of his expression. “Is that normal?” Gabe asked slowly, noting that one of the lights was flashing in synchronous white on the screen beside Baker.

Baker frowned. “No, it’s not. I’m picking up some unusual readings, Sir.” He flicked a few buttons at the console when the ground opened up in front of the Mako and a jet of steam shot up, obscuring the Corporal's view. “Shit! Hang on!” Baker yelled as he slammed the Mako into reverse. Adrian and Ava were reefed backwards and flattened against the reinforced metal, their harnesses pressed tightly against their suits, while Gabe held onto the handle above his head in a death grip. Then another jet hissed up from the right side of the vehicle, fogging up the blind spot in the windshield. Baker swerved randomly and narrowly missed a third stream before braking heavily once the steam evaporated. He breathed unsteadily for a few seconds then turned to his superior apologetically. “Damn, that was too close. Sorry, Sergeant Major.” 

“Damn is right. Nice work though, Corporal. What was that?” Gabe asked, settling back against the wall.

Baker started up the engines and continued on. “Boiling hot jets of steam. The water flowing beneath the surface is super heated due to the volcanic activity of the planet, so when the water passes under a fissure in the ground, the steam is released. Not usually a good sign,” Baker explained, keeping an eye out for any more fissures.

“Why is that?” Ava asked as she bounced around in her seat, thankful that the harness was keeping her in one place.

Baker looked at them briefly before turning his focus back on the red expanse. The three soldiers looked grimly at one another as Baker replied, “That usually only happens right before a volcanic eruption.”

Gabe watched the blonde marine, impressed. “How do you know all this?” 

As if sensing his superiors' stare bore into the back of his helmet, Baker flushed as he said, “Volcanoes have always been a passion of mine. When my term of service is up, I actually want to become a vulcanologist.”

“And leave your precious Alliance? Still my poor heart!” Ava snickered, laughing when Adrian shoved her 'accidentally' from the side. She crossed her legs casually, shoved Adrian back, and added with a smile, “Well, Baker, I’m sure glad we have you driving.” 

Oblivious to her sarcasm, Baker said, “Thanks.” Ava merely shook her head at his naiveté. They were all on their guard, however, when he exclaimed, “We’re approaching the site now. Whoa…”

“What?” Gabe asked immediately, leaning forward as much as he could within the restraints.

“The distress call. It just stopped,” Baker answered as he stared, confused, at the three dimensional map in front of him. He pressed a few buttons on the console and the confused look intensified.

Adrenaline kicked in as Gabe looked out the windshield cautiously. “Okay, this is it people. Weapons ready. Baker, keep an eye out and be ready, just in case,” Gabe commanded, reaching for his restraint’s release, followed swiftly by Adrian and Ava. They stepped out of the Mako and immediately felt how hot it was, even with the cooling fans built into their suits. “Son-of-a-bitch, it's like a furnace out here.”

“You can say that again, pretty boy,” Ava agreed, scanning the area for any signs of the geth. “We should minimise our time out here. I don’t think the suits can hack it.” 

“Good idea, Masters. Let’s find where the call’s coming from and get anyone out, if there’s anybody here,” Gabe nodded as he held his Phalanx up and proceeded forward carefully. As they closed in on the exact location in a three man spread, they were able to get a broader view. Not that that helped much. 

Gabe clicked a few buttons on his omni-tool and Baker's voice hummed in his earpiece. “Sir?”

“Baker, there's nothing here but red rock and mineral deposits. Give me something.” Gabe kept his Phalanx trained in a three sixty motion as he awaited Baker's direction.

“Hmm, this is weird. The co-ordinates say you're right there,” Baker replied.

“Hey, I think that's the transponder there, Sergeant Major,” Adrian said, moving a little to the right, pointing to an object in the distance. The Infiltrator tapped a button on his helmet and the binocular vision popped up over his face as he followed Adrian's motion up to a huge boulder to see what looked like a metal sheet upturned and weathered. Mounted between them was a huge white transmitter that spun with a blue data pad attached to its side, and littered around it a group of familiar white balls. “Shit, _geth!_ ” Adrian yelled as he patrolled the area while Gabe inspected the transmitter. The soldier aimed his Tsunami assault rifle and awaited Gabe's orders. 

Gabe's eyes bulged as he realised they had just walked into a trap. How the hell could these machines devise a trap? They weren't smart enough for that, surely? The Sergeant Major didn't have time to debate that theory. He brought the pistol close to his chest and yelled for them to take cover.

At the same time, seven geth got up. Gabe saw, with a heavy feeling, that the geth consisted of two armatures, three rocket troopers and two rocket drones. The two armatures immediately opened fire, narrowly missing the three of them as they dove for what little cover was available among varied rock and mineral sizes scattered about. As the machines prepared to fire again, Baker drove the Mako in front of the armatures, distracting them. He gunned the vehicle and drove around them, making the geth giants change targets as they aimed at him. 

Gabe used this distraction to take out the remaining geth. On his superiors' orders Adrian charged out from cover as soon as there was an opening and fired into the chest of a rocket trooper, dropping it quickly. Gabe aimed at the head of the other and blew it away. Ava focused on the two rocket drones, emptying a few rounds with each Tempest and crushed the missile opening of the other with her biotics. That left one more trooper, who took fire from all three of them. As the shots connected, a rocket fired from the launcher the geth was carrying. It flew past them and hit the side of the Mako as it circled the armatures again.

“Baker! Baker, are you okay?” Gabe demanded over the comms, eyes still focused on the battlefield, though periodically looking up to see that the Mako wasn't in flames. 

There was a brief pause before the Corporal responded. “Yes, Sir. The shield took the brunt of it. Everything is stable, so I’ll swing by again and pick you up, then we’ll take out these mothers.” 

Gabe's mouth twitched at the young marines enthusiasm and watched him pull a hard right, braking between the three of them and the geth. Ava led them over to the parked tank at neck-braking speed, assisted by her biotics. Luckily she was too fast to hear Adrian and Gabe's frustrated muttering. She waited for them to catch up before stepping in first, surprised when Adrian beckoned for her to go before him, then he joined her, followed by Gabe. Just as Gabe slammed the door shut behind them, one of the armatures opened fire and the sequence shots impacted with the rear of the tank. Baker smacked a button beside him, and the tank launched into the air, narrowly avoiding the stream of plasma as the shot from the armature hit where the Mako had been. As it came back down, Adrian scrambled to the back of the vehicle's cannon and returned fire, hitting the leg of the armature closest to them. As the geth collapsed, it fired again, this time hitting the side of the Mako. 

“Hold on! This could hurt,” Baker warned as he fought to stop the vehicle from flipping. With no time to buckle in, Gabe was hurled against the wall, grunting painfully as Ava was thrown against him, her elbow hitting him in the back. As Baker regained control, they were thrown unceremoniously in a heap on the floor when the wheels touched down again. “Sorry about that, guys.” Baker apologised profusely when Ava let fly a tirade of insults and curses. He turned back to the looming threat while Gabe scrambled to get back to his seat, not bothering to buckle in, and Baker attempted circling the armatures again.

“Fuck them up, kid!” Ava encouraged viciously as she took a seat by Baker, holding her side where she’d hit the floor. “Godamn relentless pieces of _shit_.”

Baker nodded with focus, slowing slightly so that Adrian could get the crippled armature within his cross-hairs. He fired as soon as he sighted the optic lens, which blew the eye apart, causing a chain of smaller explosions that eventually disintegrated the geth. Adrian immediately swivelled the turret and aimed at the single armature remaining, firing at its body. Each shot was a direct hit and inevitably brought it to the ground. Adrian was about to fire one last time, when he saw the light in the lens fade away.

“Baker, stop the Mako,” Gabe commanded. “We need to collect that distress beacon data, so we can figure out how the geth put together this trap.” Baker did as he was told and parked near the transmitter. As he leapt out of the tank, Gabe entered a key code cracker program from his omni-tool and the Infiltrator got to work with decrypting the transmitter's firewall. Then he called the Perugia over another comm line, requesting a pick-up.

“Understood, Sergeant Major. See you back on board,” Anja replied over the link curtly. 

An hour later, the Perugia returned and Baker drove the Mako back into the armoury garage, farewelling the soldiers and took a well earned breather. Anja met Gabe and his team in the weapons locker and said as they began to remove their weapons and gear, “De-briefing is in fifteen. Meet me in the Comms Room please, Sergeant Major. I'll have Gleason connect us to Arcturus.” She watched them all with an impressed smile. “I'll be expecting you to forward me a report before we go live, Jackson.” 

Gabe nodded, saluted and continued to remove the rest of his gear. They went to separate cubicles to shower before meeting up again at the entrance to the armoury when Ava put an arm on Adrian's bicep, surprising the brawny marine into stopping. She took a deep breath, and with a clearly uncomfortable expression, said quickly, “Look, I want to say something before we talk to the Boss-Man. Thanks for letting me in the Mako first, it probably saved my life.”

Adrian turned to her with a frown, what was her angle? He removed her hand and replied indifferently, “Don’t thank me, it was nothing personal. Only reflex.” His eyes then narrowed suspiciously. “What the hell are you doing here anyway, merc? Really.”

Ava recoiled sharply. She knew she shouldn't be surprised that he was being an ass about her gratitude, after all she hadn't really given him a reason to act otherwise, but still she had risked her life along-side them out there and he still doubted her. What an asshole. She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “Has anyone ever told you that you need an attitude adjustment, brown-noser? Fuck!”

Adrian's eyes widened and he laughed incredulously. “That's rich, coming from _you!_ When's the next Jekyll and Hyde moment? I could really use the heads up.”

“You wouldn't know where the hell your _head is_ , moron!” Ava fired back hotly.

Adrian rolled his eyes and was about to return the insult when Gabe shook his head and interjected. “You two just can’t let it go can you?” He was not the least bit shocked when they both ignored him.

Adrian stepped forward and honed in on the smaller biotic. “Well? Answer me. Why are you here?”

Ava scowled deeper. “If it'll shut you up fine. Your Admiral approached me with a contract and a very nice sum of credits, that’s why I’m here. Good enough?” She was thoroughly irritated now and wanted nothing more than to be rid of him. She moved to step past him, but Adrian blocked her path. She was not intimidated. “Step aside, and let me through. Or I go through _you_.” The look in her eyes implied this was his first and only warning.

Adrian crossed his biceps, emphasising their perfect balance of muscle and mass, and looked down at her smugly, willing to take those odds. “I’d like to see you try, merc. These guns aren't just for show.”

It was about this exact moment that Gabe had decided enough was enough. He shoved Ava to the left and Adrian to the right and his temple throbbed as he barked, “Alright. Enough! Both of you, stow this shit _now!_ I’ve had enough of this never-ending pissing contest. You're _professionals_ for fuck's sake!” Looking close to murderous, Gabe glanced at them both. “Smith, she is part of this team whether you like it or not, want it or not. _Deal_ with it. If you can’t, then I’ll request someone else, and you know what _that_ means.”

The stunned disbelief on the Staff Sergeant's face was enough to reassure Gabe that what he said was finally sinking in, before he turned to Ava. “And _you_ , stop riling him up. We can all live without the bitchy remarks. I’m positive your contract states that you’re to cooperate with us, not undermine the goddamn operation.” He gave her his full attention the moment he noticed her biotics intuitively flare up. “And you can quit the temper tantrum, I don’t scare that easy.” 

For the first time, Adrian and Ava were left speechless. There was something about the way Gabriel Jackson laid down the law, put her so thoroughly in her place that made Ava feel a slight, begrudging bit of respect for him. She took what he said into consideration for a long while before she eased the purple haze emanating around her. Adrian also stood down.

The Sergeant Major gave them one last reprimanding glare as he stepped forward with the intent on taking the lift to the CIC, before adding, “I _mean_ it. Either of you pull this shit again, and I’ll inform Admiral Hackett. You’ll both be done. Contract or no.” He was about to proceed when they heard a loud crash followed by a pained yell. 

With a cautious frown, the three of them rounded the corner that led back to the shuttle bay. They were surprised to see a gangly teenager with messy jet black hair sprawled on the floor. Adrian instantly recognised the teen and grabbed him by the shoulders, hauling him to his feet. “What the hell are _you_ doing here, Alex?” he demanded.

The scrawny teenager licked his lips nervously as he glanced around at them, realising with a jolt that he'd been busted. “I… I wanted to thank you guys for helping me on Eden Prime,” Alex stammered.

Gabe watched him carefully, trying to remember where they'd met. Then it hit him, Eden Prime. He hadn't expected to see the kid ever again after that. How wrong he was. “And how exactly did you find us? You were in hospital, if I recall correctly,” Gabe asked, stepping closer. “You could have said thanks there and left it at that.”

Alex swore, this was not the way he had planned to approach Adrian. If there was anything he knew about improvisation it was that confidence was the key. “Yeah well I like to do these things in person.” He smirked, but faltered only slightly when Adrian and Gabe stared him down, disbelief written all over their faces. The young biotic grimaced. “Alright, fine. Kiah told me where you went. She told me it was too late to get to you, you'd already boarded the Perugia. I told her it'd be a piece of cake.” The smirk returned, and when he saw Ava raise an impressed eyebrow, the smirk widened.

“Kiah told you where I went?” Adrian repeated slowly, beginning to regret sending her that message now when they'd first boarded to update her on what was happening. Why would she do that? She knew there were protocols to be followed, what was she thinking?

Gabe connected the dots with a frown. He'd have to have a chat to the Staff Sergeant about that at a later date. For now though, there was one more detail that needed to be explained. Adrian seemed to be thinking the same thing. “When we went to see you, you were in a coma. How the hell did you get out?” Adrian asked, confused. 

Alex hesitated. Here's where things were going to get sticky. “Well I'm sure Kiah told you I got better.” 

Adrian nodded slowly. “Yeah, but you were recovering. The hospital wouldn't give you clearance so soon.” 

Alex sighed. There really wasn't an easy way to explain what had happened there so he just said it. “There was a man who came in dressed up like a doctor, but trust me he wasn't. Long story short he tried to kill me. I fought back, he died. After that, there was no way in hell I was staying. I took my first opportunity and got the fuck out and went to find Kiah. The rest you know.”

Adrian's eyes bulged and he grabbed Alex roughly by the front of his shirt, dragging the teenager close to his face and snarled, “You went to Kiah _after_ someone tried to kill you?! Are you _insane?!_ What if this psycho had _followed_ you?!” Adrian exploded, his other fist clenched tightly and primed to react. Instinctively Gabe grabbed the marines free wrist before he could swing, while Ava yanked the startled teenager out of his other fist. Adrian snarled again and threw the Sergeant Major off balance, looking around for Alex. When he saw him backed up against the wall behind Ava with wide eyes, the soldier roared, “You stupid, selfish little _bastard!_ ”

“She's alright, Adrian!” Alex explained in a rush. “He won't come after her because I killed him. She's safe, I promise.” Alex hoped that the bigger man would realise what he was saying before someone, namely him, got hurt. 

Alex and Adrian's eyes met, murderous icy steel collided with terrified malachite, and at last, the soldier had calmed enough to hear him. “She's alright?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, she's fine.” It was on the tip of his tongue to elaborate why he knew this to be true, but experience told him it was easier the less they knew.

“Who the hell is this guy? And why does he want you dead?” Ava spoke up for the first time since discovering Alex. She turned around to look him over, as if to asses his worth.

With an uncomfortable shrug of his shoulders, Alex mumbled, “I have no idea.” Ava clearly didn't believe him but didn't press the issue, and the two marines put it down to her trademark indifference.

“I don't buy it, kid,” Adrian scowled. “Give us something or we're going straight to Hackett.”

Alex's eyes widened in fear. “Look, I can't say too much, but I'm in a bit of trouble. I'm on the run and I came to find you to see if you can help me.” 

All eyes were on Adrian and the marine scowled deeper. “I wouldn't ask any favours of me, kid. I'm liable to kill you myself right now.” Alex bit his lip with worry but said nothing, the man had a point. He found himself wondering what was going to happen now. He really didn't have a plan B.

As if hearing his thoughts, Gabe cleared his throat and said, “Well, just wait here. We have to head up to the CIC with a report. I'd say our fifteen minutes is up, wouldn't you?” 

Adrian nodded, still fuming. Gabe hoped that the marine would get himself together before they sighted the captain. Ava looked as though nothing had happened. _Not that this'll worry her too much_ , Gabe thought with clenched teeth, _she doesn't have to explain this shit_.

Gabe led Adrian and Ava back to the lift and rode it to the CIC. They exited to see Anja looking at the space map. She turned around when she heard the lift doors swoosh open. She did not look happy. She motioned for them to follow her into the Comms Room and once they took their seats she eye balled Gabe. “What’s this I hear about a disagreement in the shuttle bay?”

“Damn, word travels fast on this tin can!” Ava chuckled.

Gabe threw her a warning look before saying apologetically to Anja, “Yes Ma’am. There was a _minor_ disagreement, but I assure you we've resolved it.” 

Anja raised a queried eyebrow at Adrian and Ava, who nodded. Satisfied, the captain said with a curt nod, “Good. However, any future arguments are to be brought to my attention immediately. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Adrian and Gabe said in unison. Ava only nodded.

Before Anja could get down to business, Gabe cleared his throat and the captain crossed her arms. “Is there something else you wanted to say, Sergeant Major?”

Gabe nodded, and Anja knew by the look on his face this was not going to be a happy revelation. She gave him her undivided attention. “There’s something else you should know, captain. We have a stow away in the armoury. A young man somehow followed the three of us on board and we know him to be a survivor of Eden Prime.”

Anja stared at him incredulously, slack jawed. The idea of a teenager sneaking on board an Alliance vessel seemed inconceivable, yet the look on all their faces only testified the marines claim. Then she was angry. “You're serious, aren't you? How the _hell_ did this happen?”

Gabe shifted his weight onto his other foot and leaned a bit to his side. “I'm not sure of the details, he's been through a lot to get here, Ma'am.”

Anja ran agitated fingers through her hair. She was clearly embarrassed. “And you think that justifies it? You realise what sort of position that puts me in Gabe? I have to report this to Admiral Hackett, you know that, right?”

Adrian and Ava glanced curiously at them then at each other. The fact that she'd dropped all formality now was evident at how angry she was. Gabe dreaded what she was going to do with this information. “I do, captain, but I would ask that you let me tell the Admiral. I don't want this on your record.”

Anja looked at him for a moment, bewildered. She knew that even if he took the rap for this, she would still be in trouble. This was her vessel and she was responsible for it, and anyone aboard, scheduled or not. However, his willingness to try and lessen the blow was commendable. “Very well. I appreciate the gesture, Sergeant Major.” With a determined look, Anja pressed a button on the Comms Room intercom. “Gleason, patch me through to Arcturus.”

“Yes, Ma'am.”

A few minuets later a hologram of the head of the Alliance Navy appeared, and he said in a deep, gravelly voice, “Captain Simanovich, Sergeant Major. I hear you found some geth on Metgos?”

Gabe and Anja saluted him, then Gabe stepped forward and replied. “Yes, Sir. The Perugia intercepted a distress call from the planet’s surface. The Staff Sergeant, Miss Masters and I took the ship's M35 to the surface. As we approached we were ambushed. Corporal Baker kept us alive with some incredible driving.”

The Admiral looked quite concerned at the mention of a geth ambush, clearly he did not think they were this intelligent. That worried Gabe a little. “So the geth were waiting for you? What happened to the beacon?” Hackett asked.

Anja stepped forward also. “The Sergeant Major thought it best that we collect the data within and analyse it to better understand how or why the geth could plan such a tactic.”

The hologram of the Admiral stroked his white goatee thoughtfully, then nodded in agreement. “That was good thinking, Jackson. That may provide us with more insight into their movements. Now there’s something else I’d like to discuss with the Sergeant Major. You might want to stay for this, captain.”

Taking this as his cue to leave, Adrian saluted and exited the Comms Room, and when Gabe and Anja looked pointedly at her, Ava rolled her eyes and followed Adrian out. Gabe turned back to the hologram anxiously, then the Admiral spoke again. “There was an incident at the hospital last week. The young man that was among the survivors has absconded. You wouldn’t know anything about this, Sergeant Major?”

Without blinking Gabe nodded. “Sir, that young man is on board the Perugia.” Unconsciously the marine held his breath, waiting for the Admiral to berate him.

Admiral Hackett's eyes widened a little, then he shook his head. “Unacceptable. How did he get from the hospital to the Perugia?”

Gabe held the Admiral's gaze and replied, “He approached one of the other survivors, telling her that he wanted to thank us. We are still unsure if this is a fabrication or not, then he must’ve waited until we were on board before sneaking into the shuttle bay.”

The Admiral crossed his arms, then looked to the side briefly, skimming at some sort of notes Gabe assumed. “I assume you’re referring to Kiah Choi?”

For the first time Gabe winced. “Yes, Sir.”

Hackett watched him for a long moment. “Well, Miss Choi couldn’t have known what the kid was planning, so I doubt there’ll be any repercussions for her. Did you know anything about this, captain?”

Anja tilted her head backwards, following Gabe's example and looked her superior in the eye. “No, Sir. I was only just informed myself, a moment before the call went through to you. The Sergeant Major was the one to tell me personally.” Admiral Hackett nodded thoughtfully as he absorbed the admission.

“There’s something else, Sir,” Gabe said, flinching a little as Hackett turned braced eyes on him. “Alex, the young man, told me that someone had tried to kill him in the hospital, and that's why he escaped in the first place.”

The Admiral stroked his goatee again. “Interesting, though it doesn't explain how he escaped. There were armed Alliance personnel stationed there ready to question him when he had recovered.” Hackett turned to the side again and made a few notes. “C-Sec was treating that as a suicide. I’ll contact Executor Pallin when we’re done here and inform him of the new development. Sergeant Major, I expect that young man to be brought back to the Citadel, ASAP.”

Gabe was about to reply when Anja interjected. “With respect, that would be unwise, Admiral. My pilot has informed me that we’re too far out to turn back, especially now that the geth know we're onto them. For safety sake, I would recommend we allow the Sergeant Major and his team to see this through before risking a geth invasion following us back into the Attican Traverse.”

Hackett smiled back at her, respect flaring in his eyes. He remembered all the reasons he promoted the young woman. “I see your point, Captain Simmonavich. Very well, he will remain on board the Perugia, under guard.” He turned his focus back to Gabe. “Should anything untoward happen to the youth, it'll be on your head, Sergeant Major. Am I understood?”

Inside Gabe was sighing deeply with relief. It could have been so much worse.“Yes, Sir,” Gabe replied, saluting the Admiral.

“I'll be expecting reports, Sergeant Major, Captain Simmonavich. Hackett out.” The Admiral saluted as he disconnected the call.

Gabe allowed himself a small smile. He leaned against his seat, appreciating the comfortable leather cradling his sore crown. “Thank you, Anja.”

The blonde woman smiled as well. “Why are you thanking me? From the sound of it, you’re in a world of hurt if anything goes wrong.”

Gabe chuckled at that. “Exactly. Better me than you.” They both chuckled and the captain sank into a chair beside him. They had a lot to do.


	6. Interview With The Vagabond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex has been busted. How will he talk himself out of this one?

# Chapter Six, Interview With The Vagabond

After Admiral Hackett had been informed of Alex’s presence and updated on the mission, Gabe thought it was time to get things back on track. He had already chewed out his team, they knew what he expected now, and what he would put up with as well as what he wouldn't. They knew the score. Alex was about to learn it too, and Gabe wasn't about to sugar coat a damn thing. Shit was about to roll downhill.

Still in the Comms Room, he turned to Anja. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this, now. Care to join me?” She nodded, watching him intently as he turned on his heel and stormed off.

He glowered the entire way down to the crew’s quarters, not realising she was struggling to keep up. Gabe knew there was a lot of responsibility weighing heavily on his shoulders, and the added pressure of being a wild teenager's custodian only intensified the feeling. For a quick second or two, he was reminded of himself fifteen years ago. He grimaced, he'd been a handful too, but hopefully Alex would not go down the same path as Gabe had done, surely the kid had more options than Gabe had had all those years ago.

The Sergeant Major knew exactly where to find Alex, but what he didn't count on was finding Adrian and Alex in a yelling contest, nor Ava standing off to the side watching with a lazy smile. Gabe also saw a small crowd coming over to watch the vehement display, fixated.

“ - you just need to understand that I had no choice! I can't -” Alex was saying.

“I don't _need_ to understand anything, kid!” Adrian hollered back, cutting him off mid-sentence, shaking his head. “You're an irresponsible, manipulating, cold - “

“And you're a stubborn _asshole!_ ” Alex screamed back, his fists shaking he was so frustrated. “You're not listening to what I'm saying!”

“I'll pay that one!” Ava smirked, stretching out on a nearby cot. When Adrian turned to her with a _that wasn't helpful_ look, the mercenary just laughed.

Gabe was disgusted and shamed by this careless display of protocol. There was no way he was going to allow his pig-headed team to embarrass him any further. Hackett had made him the leader for a reason and he would reign them in, but not here. As soon as he and Anja reached the squabbling duo, the crowd parted and dispersed rapidly. Gabe then pointed at them angrily. “You three get your asses to the interrogation room, now.”

They all stopped suddenly, realising he was seriously pissed off. They filed into the room down the hall silently, Gabe taking a seat and demanded Alex do the same. He turned to Adrian, giving the marine a filthy look. “I understand what your issue is, Smith, but you are not the one who serves up punishment aboard this ship, the captain is. I suggest you get a hold of yourself and contact Kiah immediately. We'll speak soon.” 

Adrian turned to Gabe then Anja, who nodded in approval. He gritted his teeth, saluted and disappeared back to his quarters. Gabe then rounded on Ava. “Since you're the only one able to keep a clear head for the time being, you'll stay and listen. Do not speak until I ask, understood?”

Anger flared in the biotic's eyes but she knew her place. She reluctantly conceded, and stood against the wall with folded arms and watched, impressed, as Gabe took control of the situation. “I want to know, exactly, what the hell happened at that hospital. _Now_.” He loomed over Alex, glaring. 

For a split second Alex considered lying about the whole thing, after all he'd been in this position more than a few times, but there was something in Gabe’s eyes that told him that would not be a good idea. His eyes darted nervously at them all as he began to fidget, not knowing how much was wise to tell. “Look, I’m in a lot of trouble,” he began.

“That is an understatement,” Anja stated, folding her arms and glared as well.

“Not from you guys,” Alex replied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and continued. “When you found me on Eden Prime I was hiding from them. I’ve been on the run for as long as I can remember.”

“From who?” Gabe demanded, watching as Alex leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head and chewed on his bottom lip, torn between playing the tough guy and playing the innocent. Gabe had a feeling that the teenager was using this routine to hide his true feelings.

It was a long while before Alex spoke, and when he did everyone had to lean in to hear what he was saying. “No-one you ever want to meet, trust me.” Gabe titled his head to the side and waited for the teenager to elaborate. With a long, drawn-out sigh Alex said, “Fine. I'm on the run from professional hit men. I... took something that they think belongs to their boss.” When he saw Anja open her mouth to ask the inevitable, Alex shook his head. “No names. It's safer for the both of us if you don't know anything else.”

Gabe stretched out in his chair and said, “What exactly did you steal? Tech? Codes? Weapons?” When Alex looked away with a defiant expression, Gabe knew that, for now, the kid had clammed up.

“You know, we have ways of making you talk, Hayzel,” Anja said threateningly. Gabe was startled to see her green eyes turn a darker shade as she loomed over the young biotic. Ava bristled by the door also, flickering her gaze between Gabe, Alex and Captain Simmonavich. 

Alex's eyes bulged, then smouldered with anger. “So that's how it's going to be? You're just like the fucking rest. Can't get what you want so you threaten the little guy? Fucking Alliance heroes my _ass!_ ”

Anja threw her head back and laughed. “You think I care about what you believe of the Alliance kid? I know what it stands for, and we do not tolerate vigilantes boarding our ships. You will explain yourself or I will do anything and everything in my power to make you suffer!” Gabe knew that she was stressed, but surely she could see she was overdoing it?

He was about to tell her so when Alex exploded, his true emotions bubbling to the surface. “Go ahead then, bitch, I've faced down tougher hard asses than you! Those fuckers just keep chasing me everywhere I go! Everyone I try to get close to ends up dead. Maybe when I'm dead, they'll stop.”

There was something in Alex's voice that made Gabe and Ava look sharply at him. The blonde marine looked at Alex more closely and was startled to see the dark circles under his eyes, the extreme gauntness of his angular face. Despite appearing toned, the kid was underweight, malnourished even, his skin bruised and sallow. He looked like he'd been through hell and back. Gabe put his hand on Anja's shoulder and subtly shook his head. The older woman glared at Gabe for a brief moment before snatching her shoulder away, but took a step backward, allowing Gabe to finish his questioning. There was more to it, that much was obvious, but he had to know it all. He knew that he could empathise, being on the run, after all he’d done it himself for years. He turned back to Alex and in a calm tone he said, “There will be no killing, Alex. The captain is just letting off some steam. Who else knows you're aboard the Perugia?”

He turned to him angrily. “I – no-one, I swear! Just Kiah, and even then she didn’t know the specifics.” Alex looked away, muttering under his breath. When he looked up to see them all still staring back at him, the young biotic realised they thought he was lying. Bitterly he added, “I just wanted to hitch a ride to the next system in one piece. I mean who would be stupid enough to fuck with him, he’s Goddamn crazy!” Alex thumbed behind him, referring to Adrian. “He would have torn them in two!” He sighed, no longer caring what they thought now. “I thought I’d be safe with him.”

Anja slammed her fist down on the table. “You lying little bastard! No-one could sneak aboard an Alliance ship without help. You've already admitted to being a thief, now tell me who are you working for? What are you trying to steal?!”

Dejectedly, Alex slumped back in his chair and turned to Anja. “I wasn’t going to hurt anybody or steal anything. I just wanted help, that’s it.” The way she was looking at him now made Alex feel like sassing her, so he did. “Over the years I’ve had to fend for myself, breaking and entering is one of the skills on my resume lady.”

“ _Bullshit!_ You’ve put my entire crew at risk! I should eject you out of the airlock just on principle!” Anja spat.

That got his attention. Alex’s eyes were wide with fear. He turned to Gabe who gasped then to Ava helplessly. The mercenary dropped her hands to her sides, clenching them with glowing energy and ready to pounce if the captain decided to follow through with her threat. Contract or no, she didn't put up with people hurting kids, no matter their crime. Gabe saw this out of the corner of his eye and put his hand up, silently signalling her to stand down. He turned to the captain. “Look at him, Anj, he’s just a kid, frightened out of his mind.”

She thought this over and turned to Gabe. “He’s hiding something, Gabriel. Find out what it is before I _do_ space the little shit.” She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

“Well?” Gabe said after several moments, returning his attention back to Alex. 

Alex put his head in his hands, then frantically messed it up. “Listen to me, these guys are fucking relentless. That wasn’t the first assassin and he won’t be the last. They won’t stop until I’m dead. It’ll be easier if you just cut me loose. I’ll get off at the next stop.”

“Sorry kid, that’s not an option now the Alliance knows you’re here.” Gabe crossed his arms. He watched as his face fell, crest fallen. He really seemed to think this would be a simple matter of hitch hiking. There was something about this kid that niggled at Gabe, something that made him feel responsible, however, Alex needn't know that. “Besides were headed straight into geth territory.” He was in way over his head.

Alex’s jaw dropped, flabbergasted. Once he was able to collect his thoughts, the teenager scoffed, “Are you insane? Why the hell would you do that?”

Gabe shook his head, rising to his feet. “All you need to know is it’s part of our mission. You’re staying with us, and since you’re now my responsibility you’ll work with us until I can get you back to the Citadel, earn you way. You’ll join us planet-side.”

Alex shook his head adamantly. “No way! You saw what those robots did at Eden Prime! Fuck that!”

Gabe stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I also saw what _you_ did at Eden Prime. Besides you don’t have any options right now. You’re in deep shit so you’d better make yourself useful. Can you use a gun as well as your biotics?”

Alex just stared at him in disbelief. All he could do was shake his head. “I know a little, enough to keep me alive all this time. I'm not trained though.” This guy was completely out of his mind. What could he do against a whole bunch of geth? Destroying that armature was an act of sheer desperation, there was no way he could do that again. There had to be someone else who thought this was a bad idea as well. 

He was right.

Ava took a step toward him. “Are you kidding? He’ll slow us down, and probably get one of us killed trying to protect him. This is very unprofessional, pretty-boy.”

Gabe turned to her and said dismissively, “Noted,” then back to Alex. “Can you use a firearm or not?”

“Only a pistol, and not very well, like I said I'm not trained. Just so you know, I can’t always control my biotics. Most of the time it works,” Alex mumbled, running his hands through his hair again.

“Shit!” Ava hissed incredulously. 

Gabe stared him down, not intimidated in the least. “Well you had better start practicing. You can take a cot near the shuttle bay until the captain assigns you some place else. You keep your head down and stay out of the captain’s face for a few hours and give her a chance to calm down. I’ll come and check up on you in one hour. Ava knows the way. Dismissed.”

Ava glared at Gabe but unfolded her arms and pushed off the wall anyway. “Move it, kid.”

Along the way back to the shuttle bay Alex tried to make conversation with Ava. “I can’t believe he wants me to go with you guys. What’s he smoking anyway?” He glanced at her, not surprised she didn’t reply. “Hey listen, thanks for back there. I really thought she was going to go ape shit and really space me. You had my back, not many people do.” 

Ava watched him out of the corner of her eye but remained silent. She glared when he continued to prattle on, mostly due to nerves she assumed, though that didn't stop it from annoying her. “My money would have been on you, by the way. I saw what you could do on Eden Prime. You got some mad biotics. Since he’s got me on a suicide run I was wondering if you could teach – ”

“No.” Ava interrupted. “I don’t give two shits about you, kid. I’m here for the creds. Jackson’s your babysitter.”

Alex stepped back when she whirled around to face him, clearly pissed off. He took another step backwards at the sheer intensity of her piercing stare. Even though he knew he shouldn't say another word, he couldn't help himself. “Fuck, that was cold.”

Ava stared him down for a few minutes more to make sure he got the message then turned back around. They finally reached the shuttle bay and Ava pointed to one of the cots. “Stay out of trouble.” She then turned on her heel and left him staring after her.

* * * *

Adrian all but ran to his dorm. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He was so angry, so worried. He hoped that Kiah was alright, and that Vikki wouldn’t kick her out, though he knew that was extreme. She had no way of knowing what was going on, and even though he knew it went against protocol, he had to make sure she was unharmed.

“Come on, you piece of shit! Boot up already!” He swore as he waited for the vid-phone to connect to the extranet. “Finally!” he exclaimed as Kiah’s face popped up on the screen.

“Adrian! What a wonderful surprise. I was just thinking of you,” Kiah smiled cheerfully as she answered his call, but the moment she saw his face her smile vanished. Kiah moved closer to the screen and said slowly, “Are you alright? Has something happened?”

Adrian watched her carefully, trying not to get too annoyed. “Yeah, you could say that. Kiah, I need to talk to you about something. It’s important.”

“Alright,” she replied carefully. “What’s going on?”

Adrian tried taking a calming breath, it was working – for the moment. “You remember Alex, the kid in the hospital?” He watched her nod her head. “He’s here, with us. He snuck on board and the Sergeant Major found him.”

Kiah was dumbfounded. “I can’t believe it! How - is he alright?”

The breathing technique theory was thrown out the airlock. In an angry rush, Adrian spluttered, “Kiah, he told me that you gave him Vikki’s address so he could come talk to you about his problems!” Kiah didn’t miss the anger and jealousy present in his tone. “But before you reply to that, tell me that Vikki gave you permission to give a vigilante her address in the first place!”

Kiah's eyes widened, she had never seen this angry side to him before, it scared her a little. She clapped a hand over her mouth, utterly speechless for a moment as the information sunk in and she realised what was happening. She had put Adrian's job and reputation in jeopardy, possibly the entire mission. “No...” she whispered. 

“Well you had better hope Vikki hasn’t got a problem with that, hadn’t you?!” He said, seething as he glared at her.

She took several minutes to let the thought soak her mind, then she frowned. “You say he’s a criminal? What are you talking about? He was fine while he was here,” Kiah replied, burring up. She would never have told Alex anything if she thought he was going to be a danger, or put anyone else in danger, for that matter.

“What am I talking about?!” Adrian growled. “What am I _talking_ about!? An _assassin_ broke into Mercy Hospital last night and tried to attack one of the patients. Alex killed him, though I have no idea how a smart ass runt like him could’ve _killed_ anyone.”

“ _Oh my God!_ ” Kiah exclaimed.

“ _Godamnit_ , Kiah, you gave him Vikki’s address! Even though Alex killed the assassin, I want you to keep the doors locked at all times and go with Vikki to her self-defence classes and – ”

Kiah could see how much this was affecting him. She felt terrible. “Ok, I will fix this as best I can. I’ll tell Vikki what happened and do all those things you want me to, just stop worrying. There’s nothing you can do from where you are. I was just trying to help him, I’m so sorry.”

Adrian put his head in his hands and sighed, trying to calm himself. “I know and it kills me. I realise you had no way of knowing what was going to happen, I’m just so pissed off with him, he’s just a kid and doesn’t think or care about anyone but himself. He took advantage of your hospitality and generous nature.”

“Adrian,” Kiah said, pleading, “You have to understand he’s all alone in the world. I’m the only person he trusts even a little bit. He’s been on the run since he was twelve. Horrible things have happened to him, he’s seen things that you only dream of in your worst nightmares. Don’t be too hard on him, love.”

Adrian mulled this over, listening to what she was saying. If that was true then he could understand why he did what he did. But he couldn’t forgive having Kiah or Vikki in danger, not any time soon.

“You know that I will always be yours, and you will always be mine, don’t you?” Kiah said quietly. It hurt to see him so conflicted. But her words must have reached him.

He smiled back at her, no longer angry. “Ok. Tell Vikki I was the one to say it was ok to give him the address, it should lessen the blow. I’m going to cop the Spanish Inquisition from her anyway.”

Kiah smiled back. “I love you, soldier boy.”

“I love you too. Stay safe.” She blew him a kiss and disconnected. He gathered himself together and went to find Gabe. Time to face the music.

* * * *

The next few days went slowly for everyone. Adrian was ordered to keep a deck apart from Alex at all times, except at meal times where everyone ate in the mess. Gabe had taken Adrian aside and had a strong word or two regarding privacy protocol and his attitude. The younger marine seemed to be much calmer after speaking to his girlfriend and that's exactly what Gabe needed right now.

Gabe and Anja spent most of their time together, talking about the mission and old times. The Sergeant Major did his best to convince her that his plan for Alex was a sound one. She flat out refused him once or twice but was quickly coming around after seeing the teenagers potential in the firing range. She still treated Alex like a war criminal, however. 

Alex wisely kept to himself, partially out of being ordered to and partially because he was shit scared of running into Adrian. He did get visits from Gabe and some of the other crew members, though he kept those conversations short and sweet, always careful never to reveal anything more about himself.

Ava kept to her usual routine. She was bored and restless most of the time and to pass the endless hours when she wasn’t in the gym working out she was flirting outrageously with the innocent Corporal Baker. After being impressed with how well he handed the curves in the Mako she wanted to find out if his driving was just as smooth when it came to hers.

He must not have disappointed because late the next night Adrian happened to be walking the silent halls and spotted the Corporal leaving her quarters. Adrian wouldn’t have given it a second thought only that he was buttoning up his uniform with a stupid lop-sided grin on his face.

The grin died in the instant he saw the Staff Sergeant thundering toward him. He gulped nervously. “Eve… evening, sir.” He attempted to salute but his hand was shaking terribly.

“And just what the hell were you doing in Masters’ quarters?” He folded his arms and eye balled him, though Adrian was damned positive he knew what had transpired in the next room and it ticked him off big time.

“I.. uh, that is she.. ah..” the Corporal couldn’t find any words, let alone put together a coherent sentence. He visibly flinched when the intimidating marine bent down to glare deeper at him. Luckily he didn’t have to.

“What’s the matter, Smith? All work and no play making you a grumpy boy?” Ava appeared in the doorway dressed only in an oversized button up shirt with boy leg panties, revealing her smooth long legs. She grinned as she watched Adrian turn his acidic glare on her. She grinned wider still as she handed Baker his socks. “Here lover, you forgot these.” 

The poor Corporal blushed right to his roots as he took the socks from her. He was about to say something but before he could Adrian said angrily, “You can discuss this with the Sergeant Major later. Dismissed.” Baker made himself scarce in a split second.

Adrian then turned his full attention back to Ava. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?” He ignored her smirk. “You’re not.”

“Aw come on now, a girl’s got needs you know. Besides, there isn’t much else happening around here. I have to make my own fun somehow!” She folded her arms which pushed her chest up. She winked mischievously as she saw him trying not to peer at her cleavage. 

“Keep your fun on the low key, Masters. Just because you're the only person who _can_ fraternise with the crew doesn't mean you _should_.” He clenched his jaw and glared at her for good measure. 

Ava stood upright then and rolled her eyes. “'Fraternising?' We weren't 'fraternising', Smith, we were _fucking_.” She snickered when his glare abruptly changed to outright shock at her deliberate choice of phrasing. His discomfort amused her immensely.

Adrian fought the urge not to blush. It's not that he was embarrassed about sex, he'd had plenty of it in his time, but the fact that she was so utterly brazen and open about it was not something he was used to. She was no stranger to the act either, apparently. He lost the battle and went beet red. He decided to take his leave, and stop being fodder for her amusement. “I mean it, merc.”

She mocked saluted him. “Yes sir!” While she watched him leave she called out, “Go have some 'alone time' with junior, Staff Sergeant, it’ll remove that pole wedged up your ass!”

Completely floored by her shameless teasing, Adrian stopped in his tracks. He was eternally grateful she couldn't see his face. He took precious seconds to collect himself before half turning around, briefly considering telling her off, but when he heard her laugh he rolled his eyes and kept walking. He wouldn't let her get the best of him, even if it looked like he was running away. He hated that he could hear her laughing even through the solid doorway and into his room. God he hated that woman.

The next day they were summoned to the CIC. “Sir?” Adrian asked as stepped off the elevator floor, saluting quickly before taking his seat. 

Gabe turned around to face him and was about to reply when he noticed Ava wasn’t present. Frowning he said, “Where's Masters?”

Adrian had to bite down on his his lip, hard, not to be a smart ass. Instead he just shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, sir. Perhaps she slept in? I heard she was up late last night.”

The Sergeant Major raised an eyebrow. “Well she had better – ” Gabe began, but was cut off when he heard the elevator ding again and watched Ava step off, looking annoyed.

“I’m here. What’s the hub-bub?” Ava flicked her trademark braid off her shoulder and joined them. 

Gabe nodded. “Nice of you to grace us with your presence, Masters. We have just received an update from Admiral Hackett.” He put his hands behind his back and began to brief them. “Alliance command has reason to believe that what we found on Metgos might possibly be the beginnings of an invasion.” He watched as the two of them stared back stone-faced at him. He had their attention, good. “They seem to think that the geth are preparing to go to war and have set up four outposts in the Armstrong Cluster of the Skyllian Verge. We are to go to the planet Maji in the Vamshi System and confirm these suspicions.”

He paced back and forth slowly, letting this sink in. “Captain Simanovich will forward all our findings to Alliance headquarters. We are just on the outskirts of Maji now and should reach out drop point in the next several minutes. Go to the armoury and suit up, I'll join you in a moment. Dismissed.”

Adrian saluted and Ava nodded. When the elevator doors closed Adrian said sarcastically, “You think you can keep your mind on the mission without jumping Baker’s bones?”

Ava grinned knowingly. “Didn’t sleep a wink did you?”

Adrian grit his teeth, he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was right. “I slept great actually. You had better be bringing you’re A game for this one, merc. I’m not pulling you ass out of fire this time because you're too busy reminiscing your sexual exploits, reflex or not.”

Ava laughed. “I always _do_ , Smith.” She winked at him and added slyly, “Especially after sex.” Adrian stared incredulously at her for a moment before the elevator dinged. They stepped off and started putting on their gear. 

In the shadows Alex watched them curiously. He couldn’t understand how they managed to wear such heavy looking suits, especially the guys. Wouldn't the bulk of the armour restrict their movement? At least Ava’s seemed to allow her to move fluidly. He accidentally tripped over his own foot as he tried to get closer.

Adrian and Ava whirled around in surprise. When they realised it was him they looked at each other then back at him. Alex’s eyes widened cautiously when he saw Adrian outstretch his hand. He backed up a little, clearly on edge.

“Wow Smith, I think the kid just pissed himself! That’s probably why you aren’t getting laid these days!” Ava joked and outstretched her leg and tugged on one of her boots.

Adrian shot her a filthy look then turned back to Alex. “Here kid, I won’t bite.”

“No, you’ll just break me into a million pieces,” Alex mumbled, half serious.

With a big sigh, Adrian waved his hand out in front of the teenager, trying to encourage him to take it. “A small amount of fear is healthy, but you really are taking it to the next level. Let me help you up.”

Alex kept his eyes on the burly marine and slowly, nervously, extended his hand and Adrian helped him up. “Are you guys going somewhere?” He asked quietly.

“Yes. We have a mission to complete, hopefully it won’t take long,” Adrian replied, adjusting his Tsunami assault rifle over his shoulder and refilled his Cobra pistol with thermal clips.

Ava clipped her belt that held her twin Tempests on either side and attached her extra ammunition belt to her thigh. “Depends how long they want to play.” 

“It will take as long as it has to,” Gabe said, stepping off the elevator, escorted by Captain Simanovich and Baker. “Maji has a thin atmosphere of methane and carbon monoxide, so we’ll have a full get-up.”

Captain Simanovich added, “It’s mostly a flat planet that if positioned correctly, will give you the higher ground. Scans of the drop zone indicate the outpost is protected by five geth turrets. Once Baker gets you through them, wiping out any resistance should be simple.”

They nodded and climbed into the Mako. “Good luck.” The captain watched as they made the swift descent onto the planet. She turned to Alex. “Follow me, Hayzel. We’ll see how good you are at target practise.” She only smirked when he gulped nervously.


	7. Maji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After going planet side, Gabe's team discovers exactly what the geth have in store for the galaxy... Meanwhile there are more than a few restless souls aboard the Perugia.

# Chapter Seven, Maji

Inside the six-wheel tank, the three passengers hung on tight as Corporal Baker gripped the throttle hard, flicking a couple of buttons above him. The Mako eased its descent and the hover mechanism activated as the tank slowly proportioned its weight onto the crimson jagged surface evenly. The Alliance vehicle then took off at top speed and Baker said over the comms, “We're roughly five kilometres out of our objective. Proceeding toward co-ordinates, sir.”

“Excellent, thank you, Corporal,” Gabe replied as he looked out at the vast barren expanse through the windshield. The first thing he noticed besides the rocks was the giant suns high above them. A massive blood-red sphere illuminated the planets surface, and behind it a smaller eerie, but brilliant blue one. 

Over the comms he heard Ava sigh softly. “Now _that’s_ beauty.” Surprised to hear her say something without sarcasm for once, the Sergeant Major smirked at her. When the biotic caught the cavalier look she shrugged her shoulders. “Got a problem, pretty boy?”

Gabe actually laughed. “Never pegged you for a romantic, Masters. You're too busy being a wise-ass, and it seems for you that's a full time job.”

Ava stared at him for a few moments before conceding. “I suppose you have a point there, I'm a very busy girl.”

A small surge of pleasure surged through the Staff Sergeant, it was nice to have the feisty brunette put in her place for once. He couldn't help but add his two cents. “You know, we’re not here to admire the scenery, Masters.”

Ava ignored him and continued to stare out the windshield. “True,” Gabe agreed, trying to pretend that wasn't a shot at her. “We’re here to investigate these outposts, to discover if what Arcturus thinks is true and blow some geth away.”

“My favourite part of the job,” Adrian grinned as he rattled in his seat. The great winds that were prone to run rampart due to the difference in hemispheres that faced deep space, and that which faced the twin suns, whirled by and threatened to upturn the Mako, but with Baker at the helm, navigating the worst of the gusts was not too difficult.

They hurtled forward, bumping in all directions as the Corporal manoeuvred the vehicle over more rocks, cliffs and a few crevices. Soon the rocky earth began to meld with sand and Gabe thought it time to evaluate the situation. “Smith, check to see what we’ve got.” 

Adrian nodded and quickly released the restraints, climbing over the other two as he reached for the periscope console. “Looks like we’re almost there, sir. Five turrets just like the captain said, and just over the hill I can see there's three towers, more than likely sniper nests.”

Gabe grimaced, but he was glad. He'd expected something like this. The Sergeant Major pressed a button on his earpiece. “Baker, push us through.”

“Yes, sir, hold on,” Baker replied. Adrian fell backwards by the sheer force, startled, as the Mako accelerated faster. 

Ava laughed and when Adrian gave her an irate glare she said, “Well the man’s got style, you have to admit.”

Adrian picked himself up off the floor, muttering something about 'sneaking off in the middle of the night didn't count as style,' under his breath, still glaring when she winked at him. Gabe raised an amused eyebrow. Obviously he had missed something, but he didn’t have time to ask questions, the geth turrets had discovered them.

The Mako shuddered as a bright red beam from the turret connected with their shields, the trio rattling wildly within. Baker swivelled them around and returned fire. Within seconds the first turret disappeared and Baker continued up the slope at full speed, gliding around the corners smoothly. Adrian rushed to the cannon and took aim with the main guns, and between his precise shots and Baker’s elite driving skills, they incapacitated the remaining turrets easily. The outpost itself, however, would be another matter. 

Baker's eyes narrowed on something up ahead, then frowned as he tapped a button beside his console. “Sir, there is definitely sniper resistance. No doubt they probably won’t give up the high ground, and we’ll have to take them out before we’ll reach the – ” 

The sound of a geth drop ship drowned out the rest of his sentence, and Gabe and Ava swore feverishly when a giant colossus crashed to the ground before the ship flew away. It turned about and made a chittering noise as the metal tank honed in on the Mako, then opened fire. “Baker, keep its attention. I’ll take out these sneaky bastards the old fashioned way.”

“Yes, sir,” Baker replied, opening the back hatch.

Gabe pulled his Widow from off his back and turned to the other two. “I’m going to pick them off one by one. As soon as you see an opening go for it. Once we take down all these pricks, try and find a terminal. Hopefully it’ll have co-ordinates for the next outpost, or all if we’re lucky. Move out.”

Adrian and Ava nodded, climbing out of the hatch after him. Gabe ran to a nearby dune and propped himself up in an ideal spot. Through the scope of his sniper rifle he watched as Baker fired at the colossus in an attempt to divert its attention from Ava and Adrian who were sprinting around the outpost, firing on emerging rocket and shock troopers. He was successful, its angry red eye following him intently.

Gabe shifted his scope westward. He lined up the geth sniper and paused for a moment, adjusting for the wind and fired. Seconds later it fell from the nest, crashing into a heap at the foot of the tower. Gabe smiled in satisfaction and searched for his next target. Another one fell minutes later. 

On the ground Adrian fired his Vindicator with relish. Two rocket troopers met their end after moments of being within his sights. Ava wasn’t doing too badly herself, smashing another two rocket troopers together with her biotics before kneeling and firing her tempests to fell another single rocket trooper. She tapped her mike and said with cheek, “That’s three for me, Smith. You’re slipping.” 

“Bite me, Masters.” He ran right at the last remaining rocket trooper, rolling out of the way of its missile and smacking it with the butt of his gun before blowing apart its eye. He stood on its chest plate and aimed squarely at the three shock troopers headed his way. He dropped them quickly and grunted in satisfaction.

“Show off,” Ava muttered, ducking for cover beside a huge crate. She waited for the geth to fire on her first, then appeared while it reloaded its weapon. She pulled it in with her biotics and fired her tempests, emptying her clip.

She was about to gloat when she heard Gabe in her ear. “Watch you ass, Masters!” Just as he warned her, a sniper shot missed her by only a few inches.

“ _Son of a bitch!_ ” Ava cursed as she rolled for cover again. She tapped her mike. “Thanks for the heads up, now take it out!”

“With pleasure,” Gabe growled. They heard a popping noise and the last sniper fell to the ground.

Adrian trampled the last of the geth shock troopers on his way to Ava, squatting beside her. “That was too close, Masters. Watch yourself.”

“Only the colossus remaining, hold tight I’ll meet you there,” Gabe ordered over the radio. “How you going back there, Baker?”

“Hanging in there, sir. The Mako’s taken a bit of a beating. Could really use an assist,” Baker replied. Over the breaks they could all hear the gunfire. 

Five minutes later Gabe had joined Ava and Adrian. “Baker, bring that big bitch back here and we’ll tear it a new asshole.”

“Understood, sir.” Baker made a sharp turn and revolved the Mako’s guns to fire backwards. The colossus thundered dangerously behind him and once it was within range, Gabe ordered them to focus fire on it.

The Mako took most of the brunt, hammering away at its shields. The ground team worked hard together, careful not to draw its focus, but enough to confuse and damage it. Gabe changed to his Phalanx and made precise, deliberate shots to its joints, while Ava and Adrian assaulted whatever they could reach.

Once Baker had stripped its shields, it was easy prey. They took cover once it began to smoke. Seconds later it exploded, sending the debris sailing. He cheered triumphantly over the radio. “Yes!”

“We’re not done yet, Corporal. Wait here and make whatever repairs you can while I hack the console,” Gabe said, holstering his pistol and walking over to the computer. Adrian and Ava fanned out and made sure there was no remaining geth.

A short while later Gabe said, “Got it. Looks like there is definitely an invasion in the works. Admiral Hackett won’t like this at all.” Gabe sent the data back to the Perugia then turned back to the others. “Alright people, lets get the hell out of here. Baker send word to the Perugia for pick up.”

“Yes sir,” Baker said as he opened the hatch for them. 

Once they were in Gabe added, “Well done Corporal. You’re one hell of a driver.”

“You don’t know the _half_ of it,” Ava murmured. Gabe only raised his eyebrow at her. Adrian just shook his head.

They could all sense the grin in Baker’s voice as he said, “Thank you, sir.”

* * *

After a few minutes, the Mako was picked up and they returned to the Perugia. While Adrian and Ava stowed their gear, Gabe went to the CIC with Anja and gave Admiral Hackett his report. Hackett seemed pleased enough with it, asking few questions, and after a brief conversation about the resistance, he signed off. Gabe turned to Anja and asked how Alex had been.

“He was nervous at first, though I think that had more to do with me rather than his handling of a weapon. To calm his nerves, I had Sergei show him some very basic pistol techniques, which he seemed to take to very quickly.” Captain Simonovich frowned. “I get the feeling that he knew his way around a pistol, despite attempting to assure us to the contrary. He was quite familiar with loading the pistol and handling it. Sergei corrected only a few little things. Either that or he’s a fast learner.”

Gabe frowned too. He knew that there was more to the kids' tale, but it was most certainly not in Alex's best interests to lie about something like that. So it was no surprise to hear the next words out of the captain's mouth as, “I’m still concerned about him being here though. Are you _sure_ it’s a good idea to be taking him with you?” 

Gabe exhaled loudly, grimacing and crossing his arms. “No, I’m not. But I’ve seen what the kid can do, and if he has an episode, I’d rather it be on a planet with the three of us rather than on a ship full of people.” He was starting to wonder if he should’ve taken the kid back after all. Anja was about to speak when the pilot told Gabe he had a call coming in. “I’ll take it in my quarters,” he replied before turning apologetically to the Anja. “Lunch in the mess?” 

She nodded. “Sure. Just come find me when you’re finished with the call.” 

Gabe smiled and made his way up to his room. He was surprised when he saw Sophie was the one calling him. ”Sophie? Is everything okay? Is Lana alright?” 

The silver-haired woman chuckled. “Yes everything is fine Gabriel. Just relax, alright? I’m not allowed to call you and ask how you’re doing?”

Gabe felt his cheeks heat. “Sorry Soph. I just… you know me.” 

“Yes, I do. And you needn’t worry so much. Anyway, I called to tell you I took Lana to her check up with Dr Lenasa. He’s very pleased with her progress, and he also spoke to me about a new implant he’d like to try for her, but he wants to talk with you first. So next time you’re on the Citadel, pay him a visit, won’t you, dear?” 

Gabe felt a small amount of excitement building when she mentioned the implant. He would do anything he could do to make his little girl’s life easier, and the implant would help her so much. Suddenly he felt bad that he couldn’t be there. “Thank you so much, Sophie. I mean it. I wish I could’ve been there, and I’m sorry I wasn’t.” 

“You are most welcome, Gabriel. Lana doesn’t mind, she knows that what you do is very important. Your little girl is a lot more mature than we give her credit for. We’ve moved on to some harder teachings too. Oh, and she’s made a new friend.”

_That_ got Gabe’s attention, making him sit up even straighter. “What? Who?”

“Relax. Lana and I were outside playing a few days ago, and she saw someone searching through one of those junk heaps nearby. You know the ones you’re so adamant about keeping her away from? I didn’t realise it at first, not until she turned anyway, but the person was actually a Quarian,” Sophie explained. 

Gabe settled down a bit. He knew of the Quarian race, and had heard that they’re not exactly a violent species. The one he’d met long ago was really timid, on occasion jumping at his own shadow. 

“Anyway, the Quarian looked over and saw Lana watching her intently, and waved. Lana waved back and started walking over. I watched her the whole time Gabriel, she was amazed by her. Lana talked to her for a while and eventually dragged her over to introduce me. Her name is Lia’Vael nar Ulnay, and she seems very lovely. Not to mention little Lana is absolutely taken with her.” 

Gabe visibly relaxed, though he was still a little apprehensive. “Well, okay. If you think she’s alright, I’ll trust your judgement. Just, keep an eye on Lana? Please Soph?” Gabe urged. 

Sophie smiled assuredly. “Of course, I will. You know that you and that little girl are all the family I have.” 

“I know. We feel the same way. Wait, why was she looking through the junk piles?” Gabe asked, the question hitting him suddenly. 

Sophie laughed. “She’s on her Pilgrimage. Apparently, they’re sent out into the galaxy to see life outside the Fleet, and also to search for things to help their species. Lia’Vael makes things from the scrap and sells them to buy supplies for herself. She’s very pretty, Gabriel…” she added suggestively. 

Gabe rolled his eyes and smiled. “Yes Sophie, I’m sure she is. It shouldn’t be too much longer and I’ll be home again, this time for a while.” 

“Okay, Gabriel. There’s no rush. Lana misses you and asked me to say hello, but she understands. It’s getting late here, and I should probably let you get back. Goodnight.” 

“Night Soph. And thanks again, for everything,” Gabe replied, watching as Sophie smiled before signing off. Then he sat in his room for a while, gathering his thoughts.

* * *

After they had finished with the gear, Ava went to the gym for a while, and Adrian went to his quarters. He sat in front of the console and tried to connect a call to Kiah, and when the first attempt failed, he swore. Then he tried again, this time succeeding. He smiled when he saw Kiah’s face appear, noticing that something was different. “Hello, Kiah, I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Why hello there handsome. No, you didn’t wake me. I was just about to have a shower. But I have news!” she said excitedly. Adrian smiled a little more when her eyes lit up. 

No matter how shitty a day he’d had, she’d always managed to lift his spirits. “Really? What is it?” Adrian asked, leaning forward. 

“Well, I’ve got a job at the hospital. Nothing fancy, just a bit of desk work. Vicky got it for me, she’s been so great. But that’s not the best news. I’ve found my own place! It’s so amazing, I can’t wait for you to see it, Adrian!” Kiah said, typing something in on her end. 

Seconds later, a set of coordinates popped up on his screen. He looked at them and realised that they were close to Vicky’s place, not exactly a cheap neighborhood. “That’s fantastic news honey. But how can you afford a place there?” he asked gently. 

“Oh, Vicky helped me out a little. Like I said, she’s been so good to me, especially since we sorted out that mess with Alex,” Kiah explained, before going on to tell him all the features of her apartment. Adrian knew he’d have to do something really nice as a way to say thank you to his sister. She had been extremely understanding and patient when he'd explained the situation and took Kiah to the self-defence classes as he'd insisted.

He listened intently as Kiah talked, smiling and laughing as she told him about her first few days on the job. Then she asked about his days, and he told her about them, leaving out some of the details. Kiah tried to hide her worried look when he told her about the fights, but Adrian had already noticed and reassured her. Then he confided in her about Ava. “I just don’t trust her. And then I caught her banging one of the crew. Well, I didn’t actually catch her, but I saw him walking out of her room,” he muttered angrily. 

“Easy there, soldier-boy. I’m not trying to defend her, but is she really hurting anyone?” Kiah asked. 

“Well, no... but that’s not the point!” Adrian sputtered.

“Is she breaking any rules?” Kiah asked cautiously, unsure why this was bothering him so much.

“No,” Adrian replied slowly, glowering at her. 

Kiah frowned as well. “Okay. So maybe that’s just her way of dealing with things. What does Gabe think of it?” 

“He doesn’t know. At least I don’t think he does,” Adrian said, crossing his arms.

“Are you going tell him?” Kiah asked, trying to prevent her lips from twitching. He really looked like a big kid who was missing out on something sweet, and then it struck her. He was probably missing her, in the physical sense. She was touched.

“No. I don’t know. Do you think I should?” He asked, sitting a bit closer to the monitor.

Kiah shook her head. “I wouldn’t. He seems like a smart man, so he may already know. And if he thinks there’s a problem, it would be his job to sort it out, wouldn’t it?” 

Adrian thought about it and realised she was right, though he didn't have to like it. “Yeah, I guess so. Thanks.” 

Then Kiah looked serious as insecurity struck her. If this Ava Masters was slowly and systematically sleeping with all the men on board the ship that could mean Adrian was somewhere on her list. This did not sit well with her. “And besides, if Ava tries anything with you, I’ll have to have words with her! Biotic or not, she comes near my man and I’ll kick her ass!” 

Adrian burst out laughing. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that, I only have eyes for you, not to mention I can't _stand_ her. Thanks Kiah. I’ve gotta go now, but I love you.” 

“I love you too, soldier-boy. Stay safe.” Kiah said, blowing him a kiss before signing off. Then he decided to get some grub, so he headed down to the mess hall. He saw Gabe and the captain talking to each other and Ava was eating alone. Adrian grabbed some food and sat with some of the other soldiers.

* * *

When Ava finished her meal, she got up and made her way to the gym.

When she got there, she found that there were only a few people using the equipment. She glanced around the room and saw that Johnson was there again. She rolled her eyes and considered coming back later, but decided against it. If he had a problem with her being there, she would knock him on his ass, again. Ava strutted over towards the boxing bag she practiced with all the time and took a swing. 

She thrusted a few more times as she began to think about everything. As her thoughts slowly filtered through the decisions of her superior she gritted her teeth, unconsciously bouncing as she began to hit harder. _What the hell is he thinking?! Stupid bastard_. She was aware of the others watching her for a minute, but Ava didn’t give a damn, she was too furious to care. 

It was bad enough that the kid had snuck on board their ship, and now Jackson, in all his wisdom, had decided to take him with them. The kid was going to get someone killed, she was sure of it. Ava swore as she pounded the bag harder, making it swing wildly, venting her frustrations with each furious jab.

After a while, she stopped and wiped her brow, drenched in sweat. When she looked up to guzzle her large water bottle she realised that only she and Johnson were left in the gym. She raised an eyebrow as she watched him lift weights. His back was to her, and Ava found herself checking him out. As if he knew she was watching, Johnson turned around and they locked gazes. He looked her up and down, not bothering to hide the fact he liked what he saw also. 

He strut across the room and watched her for a minute. Ava put her hands on her hips and said, “Can I help you with something?”

Johnson leaned on the punching bag and said with a grin, “Nope. I was just going to suggest taking it easy on the bag.” Ava looked and saw that the bag was ready to burst at the seams. 

She turned back to him and shrugged. “Then maybe you’d like to take its place?” She replied half-joking as she began collecting her gear. She stopped when Johnson got into the ring and threw her some gloves.  
“Come on then, Masters. That bag doesn’t hit back. I will though,” he said, accepting her challenge.

Ava couldn’t resist grinning as she put down her gym back and slipped on the gloves. “That eager for an ass kicking huh? I suppose I shouldn't disappoint you.”

They started sparring lightly for a few minutes, then Ava started swinging harder, barely missing Johnson’s head a few times. But he blocked and dodged, which both impressed and annoyed her. “Nice moves, Johnson. But you’ll have to do better than that.”

“Yes, ma’m.” He ducked and weaved for a moment then surprised her by stepping in and swinging a low punch which connected with her side. 

Ava grunted with approval and took a step back, grinning at him. “That’s more _like_ it.” She stepped in close and let lose a flurry of attacks, most of which connected. Ava was surprised that Johnson was able to keep standing, let alone retaliate. She blocked most of his punches, but a couple still connected, which knocked her to the ground. 

Johnson stood over her and offered to help her up, but Ava knocked his hand aside and simultaneously locked her legs around his, forcing him to lose his balance. As soon as he landed, Ava straddled him, pinning his arms behind his back. Johnson struggled and grunted, but Ava held tight. “It’s useless. Just admit you lost, and I’ll let you up,” Ava said with arrogant satisfaction, grinning as he struggled harder.

“Only in your wildest dreams, woman.” Then suddenly, he was free. Johnson rolled her off his back and onto hers, pinning her hands above her head. Ava looked at him, shocked that he’d broken free. They both panted heavily, sweating profusely. Ava struggled against him, but he pinned her harder. Again she grit her teeth and fought harder, furious that he’d been not only able to escape her, but she had to admit he had skill. She was determined to put this cocky bastard in his place. 

She was about to use her biotics to throw him off her when she felt him pressing against her. Johnson must’ve realised what his body was doing, because he let her go and leapt back, his cheeks flaming. She got to her feet and stepped out of the ring, “So I guess that means I win then?” 

Johnson stared at her, grinning. “You play dirty. I like it.”

Ava laughed and grabbed her gear and paused when she reached the door, “Meet me in my room in ten minutes, Johnson. You’ll find out what playing dirty is all about.” She winked and left him standing in the ring, gob smacked.

* * *

Gabe left the mess and got into the elevator to go to his quarters. He found Johnson standing there, fidgeting and shifting on his feet as they rode the lift up. When it got to the right floor, Johnson gave a quick salute and walked out.

Gabe stood there for a few seconds, and then leaned out to see Johnson walk into Ava’s quarters. Then he understood not only why Johnson had been so anxious, but also the way Baker had been acting, as well as Ava’s comments about his ‘handling’. He groaned and stepped out, then turned on his heel and took the elevator back down to the shuttle bay. It was time to have another talk with Alex. 

When he got there, he found Alex sitting alone on a crate. “Hey kid. How you doing?” he asked as he walked over. 

Alex looked up and shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Still don’t know why you wanna take me with you.” 

Gabe could see the kid was terrified. “Because if what you say is true, about people being after you, I think it’d be safer if you were with the three of us. Then if someone decides to ‘get’ you, it’s only us in danger, not the rest of the crew on this ship,” Gabe explained. 

Alex mulled that over, saying, “That makes sense, I guess. I won’t be much help though. I mean, I don’t know how to us a gun properly, and my biotics are outta whack.” 

“Yeah, about that, Alex. The captain says you're a pretty decent shot. Why lie and say you're not?” Gabe asked, taking a seat across from the teenager.

Alex sighed and hung his head. “I'm not a pro, Gabe. I have used a gun before, but only because I had to. Sometimes the situation came down to me or them and if I didn't know which end to shoot from I'd be dead long before now. Call me selfish, but I want to live.” He felt himself flush under the heated stare of the older man. “Look, I'm not even accurate. I don't always hit my target. Clips tend to ricochet off stuff and sometimes I get lucky and hit the assholes I'm aiming for. Other times I get hurt.” He rolled up his shirt and showed a scar on his abdomen. “See that? I did this, to _myself!_ I'm definitely not someone you want watching your back.”

Gabe stared at the scar intently for several minutes. He clenched his jaw stubbornly and met the teen's eyes and replied, “Well, we’ll work on that. The captain has offered to help with the weapons training, and I’ll find someone to help with your biotics.” Alex shook his head in disbelief. Gabe ignored him. “For now I want to talk to you about what to expect planet side.” Gabe told him about what they’d encountered on the last two planets and Alex listened intently, asking a few questions when he could. By the time Gabe was finished, Alex still looked terrified, but seemed a bit more receptive to the idea of coming with them. Gabe patted the kid on the back and left him to get outfitted for some armour. 

On his way back up, he bumped into Anja. “Oh, Gabe. I was just coming to see you. The pilot just told me that we should be in range of the next geth base tomorrow morning.” 

“Okay, thanks,” Gabe said. There was a moment of awkward silence that he didn’t quite understand. 

Then Anja spoke again. “Listen Gabe, I was wondering if… Would you like to maybe, have a drink later?” she asked uncertainly, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. 

It was on the tip of his tongue to decline, but decided he deserved a little time to relax. “Sure, why not.” 

Anja smiled, feeling relieved. “Great. I’ll see you at roughly eight o’clock?” 

“Sounds good. Captain’s quarters?” Gabe smiled back.

He did what research he could on Casbin and discovered that not only did it have a remarkably fragile eco-system, but it was also passing through the debris field of a comet. They’d all have to wear full helmets again, with Casbin’s atmosphere being a mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. 

Time seemed to fly while Gabe thought about the mission, and without realising, it was soon eight o’clock. “Shit!” he exclaimed, shutting down his work station and hurrying to Anja’s cabin. 

He looked around before knocking on the door, immediately feeling foolish about it. Anja opened the door and invited him in. “Sorry, I got caught up with strategising. I hope I’m not too late?” 

Anja smiled and moved aside so he could enter. The first thing Gabe realised was the atmosphere. She had candles and wine prepared on a small two-person table with a delicious looking meal. Then there was the music playing. It was their song. He suddenly got the feeling that this wasn’t going to be ‘just dinner’. He turned to look at her.

“Well you probably haven’t had a decent meal since you arrived, so I thought it would be nice to treat you, just this once.” She smiled as she brushed gently past him. 

He followed her and took his place at the table. “You’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble, here Anj. What’s going on?”

She took her seat across from him and began filling up their glasses. It was a small while before she replied. “Listen Gabe, I’m not going to act coy anymore, I’m too old for it.” She took a sip of her wine and continued. “What we had back then was special, to me especially. When you left I told myself that it was the logical decision to let you, after all, you had a daughter, a life. I wasn’t going to interfere with that. Not to mention serving alongside the great Captain Anderson was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Gabe was about to say something but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. “I want to be with you, Gabe. No-one has ever come close to replicating what you gave me. I want it back, need it back. What do you say?” 

Gabe was speechless. He knew that she was still attracted to him, but he had no idea she would be this forthcoming. “Anj, I’m flattered, really, but I’m not ready for any sort of relationship at the moment. I can’t give you any stability or guarantees or – ”

“You are an idiot, you know that?” She said as she watched him flail about awkwardly. 

“What?” Gabe asked, clearly confused.

“I don’t want us to get married or anything. I’m talking about sex. I’m in no position to give you any more that that myself. My life is complicated as well.”

Suddenly he understood. He mouthed an ”oh”. He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. “You know you could have just said that in the first place.”

She laughed. “Captain’s rights to be difficult. So what do you say?”

He threw the rest of the wine down his gut and reached over to pick her up and place her gently on the bed. “I say why the hell not.”


	8. When Push Comes To Shove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's first mission planet side. With so many doubting Gabe's decision to have the powerful youth accompany them, the Sargent Major works to show them - and himself - that he made the right decision.

# Chapter Eight, When Push Comes To Shove

The next morning, Gabe and the others met in the shuttle bay and began preparing for the day ahead. He noticed that Alex was still trying to keep his distance from Adrian, while Ava stared at Gabe, shaking her head when he looked back at her. He thought about calling her out on it, but instead went to Alex. “Are you ready?” he asked, helping the kid adjust his chest piece. Alex looked up and half nodded, half shaking his head. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just stick close to us and keep your finger off the trigger until there’s something to shoot.”

Alex nodded again and blew out a nervous breath. As Gabe helped him with the rest of his armour, he realised that with the kid’s scrawny frame, wearing a full get-up would most likely do more harm than good. Then Anja came down and filled them in on the planetary conditions, wishing them good luck as they stepped into the Mako. They sat in silence until the Perugia dropped them out of the hatch and the vehicle began to free fall. Alex screamed profanities until he was hoarse while the G force slammed him back into his seat, and Ava laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes. Adrian, who was sitting between the two, grimaced. _Poor bastard_ , he thought. The parachute slowed them down enough so that could land safely on the planet’s surface, where Baker drove them to their target. 

Baker began pressing buttons and swiping the console with precision. Over the comms he said, “Sargent Major, I’ve got the outpost in sight. Looks like… three snipers and five, no, six rocket troopers.” 

“Okay, thanks Baker. Pull up somewhere out of sight and I’ll take care of those snipers. Once that’s done, the team will take care of the rest,” Gabe replied as he got the Widow ready. Baker pulled up next to a rock formation, which provided Gabe with the cover he needed. He unbuckled his restraints and ran down the Mako's ramp, expertly aiming his sniper rifle between a crevice and surveyed the plain below.

With the superior scope of the Widow, he was able to sight the first of the snipers without alerting any attention. He stayed there patiently waiting for the geth to move clear of its cover. That was when the marine noticed a rumble and looked up, seeing that a storm was coming close. He anticipated the first crack of thunder and fired, taking the snipers ‘head’ off. He waited for the other two to fire on him, but when they didn’t, he smiled and aimed at the next, again waiting for the thunder. The next sniper dropped just as easily, but when Gabe fired on the third sniper, one of the rocket troopers saw it go down and fired in Gabe’s location, sending smaller rocks and debris into the air. 

“ _Now!_ ” Gabe yelled over the comms. Baker was already on the move, slamming the Mako into gear and opening the rear hatch. Adrian and Ava barrelled down the ramp and opened fire on the rocket troopers, taking two down instantly. Alex followed behind, with much less enthusiasm. He took cover behind a large rock and started firing blindly at them, standing up when he realised he wasn’t hitting anything. 

Adrian swore and pulled him back down just as a rocket flew over head. “Goddamit! Stay down!” 

Gabe saw the geth that had fired the rocket and aimed at it, but it ducked behind cover. “Come on, come on, you son of a bitch,” he murmured, waiting for the geth to stand up again. When it did Gabe fired, hitting it in the chest and sending it backwards. Adrian saw one trying to move around behind Gabe’s position and fired one last burst from his rifle, taking out its legs. He quickly switched to his Carnifex pistol and fired at the geth’s head.

Ava biotically charged at the other two, slamming the first with the force of the charges impact, then firing both Tempests into the other, killing them both within seconds of each other. When all were down, Baker circled around to pick them up. “Shit! Sir, there’s something coming in - fast. I think it’s a ship of some kind, probably geth!” he warned Gabe, just as the ship appeared. Gabe swore and looked around at their options for cover, realising that there were none if the ship opened fire. Then he spied a small cave in the side of a rock face, he was about to tell the others to get in there when the ship started dropping geth troops. 

He yelled for them to cross to where he was, providing them with cover as they did so. Adrian and Ava fired as they ran, taking out three of the enemy before they got to him. Alex was almost halfway across when he tripped and fell, completely out in the open. 

Instinct took hold of him and Gabe leapt down, sprinting to help the kid up, while Ava and Adrian fired on the geth troopers. Gabe and Alex were nearly there when Alex stumbled again, most likely due to the weight of the armour. Gabe dropped to one knee and fired on the geth with his Widow, killing one before switching to his Phalanx. He had fired off only a few clips before he got hit, a pulse round from a geth he hadn’t seen pierced his amour. 

Gabe cried out in pain as he was knocked to the ground, already feeling that the wound was a serious one. He desperately tried to crawl over to the others, but already felt weak. Alex ran over to him, shell-shocked for a split second before he shook it off as best he could and started dragging Gabe with one arm and screaming and firing at the geth with his other hand.

“Get the hell out of the way, now!” Ava yelled, shoving Alex forward and half-carried Gabe. Alex let her take on Gabe’s entire weight then turned around and lined up a half-dozen geth with his gun, screaming, “Die you metal fuckers! DIE!” 

Ava was shocked to see him fell the entire immediate group. She didn’t have time to help and when six more landed all she could do was hope that Adrian would save him, the kid was clearly running on pure adrenaline now. She glanced down to see that Gabe was bleeding heavily and looking quite pale, she wasn’t sure if he was going to make it. 

Meanwhile, Adrian had seen the entire mess unfold. Even though he couldn’t see how bad the wound was from where he stood, the look on Ava’s face was not one of reassurance. He cursed and fired relentlessly on the geth, trying to get closer to Alex. He had almost reached him when a rocket came hurtling toward them. With a loud grunt Alex pushed himself outward and a huge biotic field erupted around him, sending all those around him flying, including Adrian. He was clearly spent after that, collapsing in a heap. While the geth were stunned, Adrian pushed himself to get up, collect the kid and help Ava carry Gabe to a clearing.

Baker pulled up behind them and leapt out the back, immediately checking to see where Gabe had been hit. “We need to get him back on board ASAP.” He left the wheel and helped Ava load Gabe into the Mako, before mounting the main cannon himself and firing on the ship. 

Adrian all but threw Alex in a corner of the Mako, then aided Ava to focus their fire on the geth troopers, while Baker continued to unload into the ship. After another minute or so, the ship exploded, crumbling to the ground while Ava and Adrian mopped up the last remaining troops, falling back inside the Mako when they were finished. 

Baker put in the call for extraction, telling them Gabe had been hit and to have the doctor standing by in the shuttle bay before prepping the emergency medi-gel. Adrian was talking to Ava but looked at Alex and growled, “What the hell was he thinking? I told him to stay the hell down, and now we’ve got a man wounded!” 

Ava didn’t trust herself to speak, so while she was attempting to slow the blood flow with both hands, just glared at Gabe instead, who had passed out himself. They sat in silence as Baker got them back to their rendezvous point where they were lifted back onto the Perugia.

* * *

Gabe awoke a few hours later in the med bay feeling very groggy. He blinked a couple of times and tried to remember what happened. Flashes of gunfire flickered through his mind, the Mako as well as geth. The kid, Alex. He fell and Gabe had sprung into action. A burst of plasma and then… nothing. The marine shook his head and tried to sit up but found he was numb all over. His eyes widened in panic, thinking that he was paralysed. He began to pant heavily, eyes blinking frantically before the doctor entered the room and placed a reassuring hand over his. “Please, Sargent Major, you must stop trying to get up. The painkillers haven't worn off yet.”

Gabe stared at him wide-eyed. “Why can't I feel anything?”

“That’s just the effects of the drugs. The shot pierced your armour and grazed your left lung. Had Corporal Baker not been so quick in applying the medi-gel, it would’ve been a lot worse,” he explained slowly, watching the marines reaction closely.

Gabe processed this information slowly. So he'd blacked out before the end of the battle. It seemed that his team mates had come through, but he asked anyway. “Did we get the intel? What about the geth?”

The doctor seemed satisfied that he hadn't taken any head damage or suffered any other effects of the drugs so he smiled and replied, “Those are excellent questions, Sargent Major. Unfortunately none that I can answer. However, there are a few people who’d like to see you, if you feel up to it?” Gabe nodded, eager for answers. 

The doctor left and Anja entered, glancing briefly at the doctor as he left the room. “Gabe! I’m so glad you’re alright!” she said in a rush, her face flooding with relief as she hugged him. He groaned as her arm pressed against his side. Startled, Anja gasped and released him. “Oh shit, I’m so sorry. What happened?” she asked, sitting on a chair beside the bed and holding his hand. 

“Smith and Masters didn't tell you?” Gabe asked, confused.

Anja shook her blonde bob. “There wasn't time. You were losing a lot of blood and your team mates rushed you right here. It's been a few hours and, besides, the two of them don't answer to me in regards to your mission from Admiral Hackett.”

Gabe nodded slowly. It made sense. “I don't remember everything yet, it's all a bit fuzzy, but from what I can remember, we were ambushed after taking out the immediate threat. A geth drop ship, I think. Alex fell over in the middle of the fight and – don't look at me like that, Anj,” Gabe sighed, making an unimpressed face at her I-told-you-so expression. He ignored her and finished explaining. “I was closest and ran back to help him. I got hit and then I think I blacked out.” 

Anja squeezed his hand. “I told you. I _bloody well_ told you it was a bad idea.” 

Gabe let go of her hand and exhaled in frustration. “Anja, spare me the lecture, please? I don’t blame the kid, he tripped. Simple as that.” Anja shook her head, but said nothing further. After a few minutes the doctor returned and the captain of the Perugia rose to her feet. “He's all yours, Yuri. I have to get back up on deck but I'll visit again soon. Take it easy, Sargent Major, that's an order.” 

Gabe smiled and saluted. “Yes, ma'am.”

Doctor Yuri took Gabe's blood pressure and performed a few other tests when Adrian rapped on the side of the med bay door. Yuri smiled and waved him in. Smith pulled up a chair and said with a twitch of his lip, “You look like hell, sir.” 

Gabe chuckled. “Better to look like hell then dead. Thank you for saving my life, Smith.”

Adrian nodded curtly. “No need to thank me, sir, Masters was the one who pulled you out of the crossfire. Alex and I neutralised the geth threat before he passed out. Baker applied the medi-gel which was what actually saved your life.”

“So I've heard. Is he...?” Gabe began to ask uncertainly.

Adrian nodded, following his superior's train of thought. “Yes, sir. Alex survived. He's alright, just over exerted himself.” 

The burly marine clenched his jaw, apparently mulling something over. Gabe crossed his arms and insisted, “Spit it out, Smith.”

Adrian said quietly, “Alex blames himself for your injury, sir.” 

Gabe's response was automatic. “He’s got nothing to feel guilty for. I made the choice to take him with us, I’m the one that went after him. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”

Adrian nodded, appearing to agree with him. He stayed a while longer, explaining that they didn't upload anything of value, but the fact that there was a large number of geth on the planet indicated that there would be more elsewhere. They likely were not finished with the eradication, but probably getting close to the main base of operations. This did not surprise Gabe, but he was still not eager to engage the machines in battle any time soon. He was lucky, and he knew it. 

The Staff Sargent excused himself a half hour later and Gabe relaxed back in the bed, his thoughts wandering back to the Citadel, to his daughter. He thanked God he'd come out of that alive.

* * *

Over the next few hours, members of the crew stopped by to see how he was. Sergei, Baker and even Ken and Gabby from engineering visited him. He could feel his strength returning over the next couple of days, and was eventually allowed to leave. The first thing he wanted to do was talk to the one person who didn’t come to see him. Ava.

He went all over the ship looking for her, checking the obvious places first. When he didn't find her in the gym or her room he started to become annoyed. Was she avoiding him? When he eventually found her, she was in the mess. Once she caught sight of him, Ava gave him the once over and drawled, “So, you’re alive. Well, ain’t that something.” She moved forward and brushed past him, 'accidentally' shouldering him in her wake.

Gabe frowned but followed. He caught up with her at the elevator. It was about to close, but he managed to wedge his hand in before it closed completely. “Masters, a word?”

“I have nothing to say to you, pretty boy. Go back to your fan club.” She pressed the floor for the sleeping quarters and leaned against the wall while the elevator hummed to life before moving upwards.

“That's fine, you can listen.” He ignored the filthy look she shot him. “I wanted to say thank you. I hear you're the one who got me to the Mako in one piece. You probably saved - ”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. As she stepped off and before making for her room, she interrupted him. “Don't go there, Jackson. I don't want your thanks. I just did my job.”

Before she could slam the door in his face, Gabe slid through the opening to her room and crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. “What's with the attitude, Masters? Why are you busting my balls?”

Ava laughed harshly. “Just a part of my charm I guess.” She strutted over to her dresser and began to rummage through it.

“Really? See, you say that but to me it sounds more like 'fuck you'. Why don't you drop the bad ass routine? Get to know us a bit?”

Ava slammed the drawers shut and turned sharply in his direction. “See that's your problem, Jackson. Always in everyone's business, trying to make out your the good guy. I'm not interested in making friends. I'm interested in making credits. Focus on your job and I'll focus on mine.”

Gabe threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “For God's sake, woman, I just wanted to show my gratitude! Why are you being so damn difficult?” He glared at her for a split second before she stormed toward him, the vein in her left temple now visible as she worked to control her temper. He could see it was an effort.

Ava got right in his face, her nose almost touching his. “Shove your gratitude up your ass. I told you it was a bad fucking idea to take that kid with us! I fucking _told_ you! But you just didn’t care.” She looked him up and down with a sneer. “Professional my ass!”

Gabe's eyes widened incredulously, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable with their proximity, but let her continue. “What would’ve happened if it was one of us who’d been shot or killed? That kid is a liability, and he will get someone killed.” 

She was pissed off, and with good reason, he knew, but he had a point and he was going to make sure she knew it. “Yes, you made sure I knew how much you thought it was a bad idea, and 'that kid' has a name. Alex.”  
He looked her in the eye and said evenly, “What would you prefer I do? Leave him here on the ship? You and I both know just what he’s capable of, so what if something happened on board? You’d rather I risk the entire crew?” Gabe demanded. “The ship? We'd be stranded on a planet full off Goddamned geth!”

She spun around and swore in frustration. She had to really fight the temptation to throw the nearest thing at him, namely her right hook. For a person in charge, he took way too many risks and she didn’t like it, not when she had minimal trust for him. In the end she decided to just revert back to her indifferent bitchy attitude. “You know what? I really don’t care. It’s your team, do what you like. Once this job’s done, I’m gone. Just don’t expect me to keep saving everyone’s asses,” she said in a final tone, walking back to the drawer and reefed out fresh clothes and turned to the showers.

He stared at her in disbelief. “You know, you’re one cold person. Have you got any idea what it’s _like_ to have people after you? To be running in fear all the time? No? I didn’t think so.” Gabe refused to be dismissed so easily. She needed to learn to give a shit and he was determined to make her see that. “Before I blacked out, I saw what he did, and so did you. How could you _not_ be impressed with such abilities?” 

She looked away, but he knew she was listening. “So rather than sit there and chew me out, why don’t you use some of that energy and help? Show Alex how to control his power and use it properly. From what I've seen, he'll find no better human instructor.”

“And why the _hell_ would I want to do that? This is _your_ Godamn mess, Jackson!” Ava glared hotly.

He couldn’t believe she was this self-centered. “Because he obviously needs guidance, besides think of the high you’d get. Or, fuck me, think about someone other than _yourself!_ ” Gabe returned angrily, and without giving her a chance to say another word, he turned and walked out, slamming the console to open the door before disappearing, muttering curses under his breath.

* * *

The next few days found Ava stalking the halls of the Perugia like a panther gone feral. She ignored anyone around her, the constant biotic aura emanating from her skin was an obvious fuck off statement, making everyone in a two metre radius skittish, and all crew who encountered her gave her a wide berth. Her mood didn't improve when she was forced to speak to the captain or Gabe when absolutely necessary, and her replies were biting and short. Not even Adrian wanted to approach her, and it was down right scary to watch her in the gym, she had broken five boxing bags in three days.

Gabe's words kept playing over and over in her mind, making her feel guilty and Ava hated it. She kept trying to convince herself it wasn't her problem, why should she be emotionally blackmailed into helping him and his hopeless cause? And then she got angry at herself. Why the hell did she even care in the first place? This wasn't her first contract work where she'd felt sympathy for one of the civilians caught up in the politics. She'd shaken it off before, she could do it again. Ava had no emotional attachment to these people, owed them nothing, so it made no sense, and that was the crux of it all. Thinking about it further only spurred her aggravation. 

It wasn’t until she had finally given into the incessant thoughts that were beginning to cause her painful headaches, that she decided contact her father via vid-com for some much-needed advice. “ _Godammit_ pop, he drives me fucking _crazy!_ ”

“ _Language_ , if you please, Avalon.” The biotic rolled her eyes when she heard her step-mother in the background.

“Ava, what exactly is the problem dear? You have expressed how, er, lacking, your commander’s leadership skills are, but I can see there is something else bothering you. What is it?” Erik prompted, his expression worried.

Enossa Masters noticed the distinct change in her husband’s tone and joined him in front of the vid-com. The asari matron frowned up at her step-daughter and waited patiently for her to speak. Years of experience with the tempestuous youth told the older woman that Ava would need a moment or two to gather her disheveled thoughts before a coherent explanation would be provided. Ava took a deep breath and said slowly, “He wants me to... teach that kid I’ve been telling you about.”

“The stow-away?” Eric asked, confused.

“Yah,” Ava replied with an ironic laugh as she rolled her eyes. “What a dumb idea. Me? Teach? Pfft.”

Eric knitted his thick brows together and frowned. “Teach him, what, exactly?”

Ava exhaled wearily, hanging her head for a moment before explaining. “How to control his biotics.” She looked away absently for a moment, saying with a faint smile, “I've never seen another human with that kind of raw power, like, I don't know, another asari or something. No-one I know with an implant could do that kind of damage, except maybe me, I guess.”

Her parents exchanged troubled looks before turning back to their daughter, who was now scowling. “He’s so powerful, pop, but dangerous. He can’t control it. If he keeps going like this, he's going to kill himself, or more likely someone else,” Ava added testily, starting to bur up. “That idiot Jackson seems to think I’ll take over babysitting or some such bullshit. Sorry Ma.”

Enossa looked thoughtful for a moment as Eric said, “Is there no-one else aboard who can help him?”

Ava shook her head. “Nope, and I think if that dickwad, sorry Ma, had another option he'd take it.”

The asari matron gave her step-daughter a reprimanding glare before sighing. She'd been able to impart many things onto Ava, but sadly, etiquette was not one of them, and not due to lack of trying either. “And why are you resisting then? Are you worried you could not teach the child?” Enossa asked.

“No, it’s not that, well yes a little, I’ve never taught anyone before. I don’t have the patience. He's a wise ass, sass-mouthing little shi – trust me, Ma, he's a lost cause,” Ava muttered running her hands through her hair, agitated.

Enossa's smile reached her eyes. “That’s what C-Sec said about you when your father and I bailed you out of juvenile hall – for the eighth time.” Eric tried his best to hide a smirk behind his hand.

“Aww Ma, _c’mon_. I was a rebel. You're never going to let me live that down, are you?” Ava groaned. “Besides, you set me straight, just in time too. If it wasn’t for you I'd probably be in prison by now.”

“Then you and he are kindred spirits. Help him,” Enossa replied serenely.

Ava thought about this for a moment. Now that she had calmed down she realised what she had been determined to ignore all this time. There was so much she and Alex had in common, at least on the surface anyway. It was probably what her sub-conscious had been trying to tell her over the last couple of days.

Once, she had once been just as confused and lost as Alex seemed to be when her biotics began to develop. She also remembered being just as scared as he was, but Ava was lucky enough to have had an ex asari commando as a step-mother who taught her how to channel her power, to manipulate the powerful yet erratic biotic energy, sculpting her into a lethal but disciplined vanguard.

A small part of Ava felt pity for him, but the moment she felt compassion creep up she slammed it with tremendous force. “Forget it, Ma. You’re a million miles away and _still_ trying to manipulate me!”

“Darling, you have a chance to make anothers life better, why are you resisting?” Enossa argued softly.

“Because I’m a _killer_ , mother, a cold-blooded _killer!_ I only know how to bring pain. That’s hardly a shining example to look up to!” Ava exploded.

There was a long silence before Eric said, “Ava, you and I both know that life is never black and white, there are shades of grey. You are those shades. I think this is a really good idea. You might just surprise yourself. Give it a shot sweetheart.”

Ava looked at him helplessly. She put her head in her hands and sighed. Several minutes passed by before she exhaled loudly. “Jackson's going to piss himself laughing… Alright, pop. I’ll do it. Thanks for the talk. Night.” She waved shortly at them and disconnected.


	9. The Mercenaries Apprentice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ava has agreed to teach Alex to harness his biotic powers. The question is, will he survive the lessons?

# Chapter Nine, The Mercenaries Apprentice

The next day Ava made her way to the armoury. When she stepped off the elevator and rounded the corner to where Alex’s cot was she glared at one of the crew members that was sitting beside him. “Get out,” Ava demanded. The woman’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, startled, before she all but ran to the elevator door.

Alex backed up in the cot quickly, panic beginning to rise inside him. The look in her eyes was fiercely intimidating, and he found himself wondering if she did it deliberately to see if she could make him piss himself. Since Ava made it an ironclad point never to mix with the team outside a mission he found himself very nervous, if albeit more than a little curious at her presence. Alex was also painfully aware Ava was the only person who hadn’t come to see him in the medical bay, and he had a gut feeling why. 

Ava stared down at him, a sneer curling her lip. She didn't have time for his skittish behavior, not when she had so much to do and precious little time to accomplish it in. “For fucks sake, kid, get a grip. I’m not going to shoot you, much as it would be the simpler solution.”

Alex gulped anxiously, having no doubt that were she allowed to do so, he'd probably be dead long before now. When he didn’t respond, Ava grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and grunted in exasperation as she unceremoniously hauled him to his feet. Ava called for the elevator and when it arrived, she proceeded to shove him into it. “Move it.” 

Alex stumbled, but managed to catch himself before he fell over. He stared at her wide-eyed when she joined him, pressed the button to close the doors and stuttered, “W.. why? What's going on?”

As the elevator hummed to life and began to ascend, Ava continued to stare at him menacingly. “Because I’m going to kick your ass until you learn to harness your biotics like a master, instead of a krogan in heat.”

Alex's jaw dropped, thinking he must have heard her wrong. Did she just say she was going to _train_ him? This was not what he was expecting. Why hadn't she kicked the crap out of him yet? Screamed at him? Thrown something at him by now? He had caused Gabe's injury and put the team in more danger with his stumbling. Why would she be interested in helping him?

Before he could ask her any of these questions, the elevator dinged. They stepped off at the gym together and more than one or two crew members stopped to stare incredulously as she pushed him forward. Some of them started to whisper behind concealed palms, and some ran off, likely to tell Jackson she was sure. But Ava ignored them, her brows drawn together as she focused on the task at hand, walking briskly into the gym, Alex struggling to keep up the pace. 

When the biotic entered she bellowed, “Anyone who doesn’t want to become a stain on the wall better take this one opportunity to leave, _now_.” She smirked as she watched everyone scatter and evacuate the gym. Ava strutted over to the middle of the room and turned to face Alex, who stared after the retreating crewman with astonished eyes.

Ava snapped her fingers to get his attention. Alex turned around sharply and listened intently. “That display back on Casbin was a fucking _disgrace_ , Hayzel. You should be ashamed to call yourself a biotic.” She rolled up her sleeves and continued, “Yeah, I know, you think you got some sweet moves, and I can’t argue with that, especially after watching you on Eden Prime, but you have absolutely no control over yourself. That has to change.”

Alex nodded vigorously, absorbing everything she said, while his heart raced with excitement. He knew what she was talking about. “I get that. I’m so frustrated with myself. Why can’t I help out when I want to, instead of waiting for someone to get hurt?” His fists clenched at his side as flashbacks of Gabe getting shot flooded his mind.

Ava's eyes narrowed acutely on him, already anticipating his train of thought. She wasn’t having any of it. “Shelve that shit right now, Hayzel. There is no room for self pity while you're with me. Besides, Jackson is a moron for letting you go in the first place. That wasn’t his first bullet and won’t be his last so quit feeling guilty over it.”

She watched him absorb this. When he was able to focus she nodded approvingly. “Now, before I can teach you anything we have to figure out what makes you tick. Clearly fear is a great motivator, but you need to be able to turn it on and off. Let’s give self-preservation a test drive.”

Without warning she hurled a warp ball right at him. Clearly he was not prepared, and even though she had restrained herself, it still threw him back on his rump. Ava cursed and lifted him upright with her biotics, bringing him inches from her face. “What the _hell_ was that, kid?”

Alex blinked, taking a few uneasy steps back once she released him. He'd never been lifted in mid-air before. It was not a pleasant sensation. “Um, I wasn’t ready. I just – ”

She stormed over to him and jabbed him in the chest. “Shut-up. I don’t want excuses, I want results.” She went back to her position. “On the battlefield you won’t get such courtesies. Sometimes your instinct is the only thing standing between you and death. Do you really want to go down like a bitch? With one move?”

Alex glared at her angrily. “ _No_.”

Ava nodded. “Good, a shred of pride at last. Show me that you’re not a little bitch.” She hurled another warp ball his way and was unexpectedly satisfied to see him deflect it. She shifted her weight and outstretched her hands. Without any encouraging words she threw three more at him. Ava watched as Alex started to freak out for a moment, then focused on deflecting them all. 

She nodded her head. “Better, but you still lack the confidence needed to be an adept biotic. Now you try and throw one at me and I’ll block it.” 

Alex frowned in concentration. He'd only ever been able to materialise a handful of warp balls, and less than that on a whim. He felt the pressure when he heard Ava groan with frustration. He tried hard to block her out and seconds later he felt energy pulsate within him. It thrummed down his arms and then a ball of energy crackled between his palms. With a satisfied smirk he threw it at her. 

Immediately after his energy released, Ava retaliated with a warp ball of her own. The unstable energy easily blasted through his, grazing his face, scorching his left cheek and sent him sliding backwards before landing on his rear.

He swore vehemently before managing to say indignantly, “You said you were only going to _deflect_ it! How the fuck am I going to learn if you _screw_ with me like that?!” 

Ava shrugged indifferently. “I lied, get over it.” She smirked as he cast her a filthy look before biotically lifting him upright once more. “Rule of engagement kid, never trust the enemy. You can’t trust that they’ll play fair. Ever. You must be prepared for every scenario. Now come at me again.”

Alex nodded darkly, determined to wipe that smug smirk off her face, preparing another warp ball. This time when she sent it back to him, he deflected it. He also anticipated the next three more. Once these were deflected he turned to gloat triumphantly. He blinked, confused to see Ava was no longer standing there. 

He took a cautious step back, wondering what she was up to now. He collided with something and spun around, warp ball at the ready. Sure enough Ava was what he'd run into. In a split second he saw her fists clench and as she was about to deliver the punch, Alex released the warp ball. Ava hissed as the energy scalded her bare knuckles, but she pushed through the pain, her fist emerging on the other side of the warp ball as it dispersed and impacted with Alex's right cheek. The younger biotic gasped, impressed, as he stumbled back. Instinctively shielding his face, Alex blocked her second, third and fourth follow ups, but what he didn’t see coming was her throwing him across the room like a rag doll, smacking his head hard against the wall. Ava's body ignited with azure energy as she charged him, lifting him in the air and hurled him across the room again. Between small panting intervals she smirked, “Yep... just like... a bitch. And here I thought... you were... learning.”

Anger and resentment flared inside him as Alex did the only thing he could while he was suspended in the air against his will - glare furiously. With the hand that wasn't pinning him in the air, Ava wiped the sweat from her brow and fought the urge to praise the kid. He was raw but making her break a sweat was an indicator of his potential. It was at that moment that the doors to the gym opened and Gabe, along with frantic crew members came running into the room.

“I told you she was going to kill him sir!” A crew member shrieked. Ava turned to the woman and glared coldly. The crew member shrank back out of the room quickly.

“Put the kid down, _slowly_ , Masters, that’s an order.” Gabe’s voice echoed around the room and commanded obedience. 

Ava shrugged nonchalantly but complied. Alex bent over and heaved loudly before wiping the blood from his busted lip. Gabe's eyes narrowed on the young man's other injuries – cut along his right cheek, bruises all down his left arm and scorch marks on his left side jaw. The fact that he had a slight limp did not escape the Sargent Major's notice either. He turned with barely concealed anger to the mercenary. “There had better be one hell of an explanation for this, Masters, or you're out of a job.” 

Ava was about to reply when she was thrown back abruptly by an invisible force. Stunned, she looked up to see Alex standing over her, panting heavily. She couldn’t hide the grin on her face. She put her hands behind her head lazily and looked up at Gabe smugly. “What does it look like, pretty boy? I’m teaching.”

The marine stared at her for several moments. He glanced over at Alex who was sporting a grin of his own, then back to her, saying, “I see.” He extended his arm to Ava and she laughed, taking it. He helped her up and took a seat beside the weights, wishing he had a bowl of popcorn right now. “Mind if I watch for a bit? I have to say, this is something I have to see to believe.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I guess I can't exactly tell you no. Why the hell not? Maybe I'll get lucky and the kid'll blow you up and I won't have to listen to your whacked orders any more.” She laughed at her own joke then turned to Alex. “And as for you, you little shit,” Alex stopped grinning and winced. Ava looked him up and down and smiled. “Nice fucking job.”

Alex sighed with relief, then after regaining his composure said smugly, “Never trust your enemy, even if they might act like a little bitch.”

Ava flicked her hair behind her shoulder and actually laughed. “You smart ass little punk!”

The two biotics continued training for hours. Ava pushed the boundaries further and further until the kid was a pulpy, sweaty mess. Many times Gabe attempted to intervene, she was absolutely brutal, but he conceded after she explained, “This is as close to real combat as he's going to get, pretty boy. If I kick his ass and he can take it, there'll be nothing those tin can openers can do worse.” As he watched them, Gabe noticed Alex really seemed to respond to her style of teaching, even appeared to enjoy it, no matter how bad the beating. Gabe could hardly argue with the results, especially when Alex was able to now charge with his biotics, naturally form warp balls and lift small objects. That alone would be invaluable in tight situations, both in and out of combat.

After their fifth training session finished, the crew and even the captain were beginning to notice the difference in Alex both mentally and physically. The young biotic had developed tone and proper lean muscle since Ava had incorporated boxing, weights, pushups, chin ups, planking and various other methods of physical torture into his training regime. His face filled out now he was eating better as well and he now moved about the ship freely, chatting to crewman with confidence and ease, even laughing and joking with the navigator and Corporal Baker in engineering. Alex had come a hell of a long way from the gaunt, terrified stowaway Gabe had found five months ago.

Even Adrian commented on the biotic's transformation when they bumped into each other in the hallway. “I don’t know what she did to you kid, but it’s working.” He wrinkled his nose trying not to laugh as he added, “Even if the side of your face looks like you’ve been mauled by a pack of varren!”

Alex laughed back, feeling the painful throbbing behind his black eye. “Yeah she’s vicious, but thorough. I love it.” 

“How many times have you knocked her on her ass?” Adrian said as they took their trays to the mess hall.

Alex popped a french fry in his mouth and said, “Only the once, while she was distracted but I’m working on it.” They were still laughing when Gabe joined them.

He raised his eyebrow with interest as he greeted them. “Hey guys what’s going on?”

“Oh, not much just checking out Alex’s newest beating. She really kicked the crap out of him this time,” Adrian replied, wincing a little.

Gabe turned to Alex, slightly concerned. He could see his face looked terrible but it was what he couldn't see that had him worried. “How bad?”

Alex lifted up his shirt to reveal blue bruises forming over his stomach and upper rib cage. “I think she broke my ankle too, and I’ve lost count how many times she’s split my lip but hey, no pain no gain huh?”

Gabe frowned. “I’ll tell her to ease up.”

Alex gasped. “No! Don’t do that. She keeps me on my toes and I’m learning so much!” He motioned for them to come closer as he whispered, “Besides, it’s doing wonders for my image, you know the whole bad-boy vibe.”

The other two just laughed. So far it had been five months since they had found out Alex had stowed away on the Perugia and in that time, especially since Casbin, the three of them had come to an understanding and Alex was no longer afraid to be around them. Almost like one of the guys.

“Speaking of hooking-up, is that your pal, Sergei chatting up the ice queen herself over there?” Adrian smirked at Gabe. All three of them turned to see Ava sitting by herself in the corner of the mess talking to Sergei, who was leaning over the metal table a little too close to be considered friendly. Gabe dropped the burger he was holding, barely hearing the hooting laughter from Adrian and Alex.

“Hey, you look tense. Working overtime with junior over there, huh?” Sergei said with a flirtatious wink. 

Ava looked up and smiled back, motioning for him to join her. With unabashed enthusiasm the marine moved around her and took the seat beside her. “Maybe. Training kids takes it out of you, especially biotic protégées like him.” She motioned over to where Alex was in the mess hall and smirked when he and Smith quickly averted their eyes. While looking the flabbergasted Sargent Major in the eye, Ava laughed. Sergei turned to see what was so funny and grinned from ear to ear at his friend. Gabe managed to salvage a scrap of dignity and turned back to Adrian and Alex.

Sergei turned back to Ava. “Right, being biotic means you lose energy quicker than most.” He nodded. When he looked down to see how much food she had on her plate he laughed. “And you eat more than most too!”

“Hey give a girl a break, we have faster metabolisms than most,” Ava grinned.

They sat together and made easy, casual flirty conversation for the rest of their lunch break. Nearing the end of it Sergei casually put his arm behind her chair and said leaning closer to her, “You know you’re really amazing, probably the most versatile soldier I’ve ever met. I would love to get to know you better.” 

Ava smirked, “I just bet you would…” She crossed her arms. “Anyway I’m not a soldier. I don’t play by anyone’s rules,” she glanced over at Gabe’s group. “Unless they pay me absurd amounts of money that is.” She chuckled to herself before turning back to him. 

Sergei watched her for a while, seeming conflicted whether or not to say something. In the end he decided to go for it. “So how about I meet you in your quarters later and we can continue getting to know one another? I’ll even throw in a massage for those sore muscles?”

Ava looked him up and down, impressed with his boldness. She licked her lips enticingly. “Smooth, Sergei. Very smooth.”

He rose to his feet and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “You’re too beautiful to have such aching muscles. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll make you feel like a new woman,” he whispered, flashing her his most charming smile yet. “How’s eight?”

Ava rose to her feet too. “You talk up a good game, romeo, but let’s see if that gentleman routine sticks once we’re alone…”

Adrian, Gabe and Alex all watched this exchange incredulously. “Aw _c’mon_ man! That’s like the third guy so far!” Adrian said, half impressed, half disgusted. He couldn't wait for shore leave.

“That we know of,” Alex mumbled into his drink. Gabe chose simply not to comment. After all she wasn’t Alliance, so fraternising with half the ship wasn’t an issue. He didn’t have to like it though.

* * *

A few more days passed by and Admiral Hackett had finally contacted them about their next destination. Antibaar was going to be difficult to scout because of its sub zero temperatures and high winds, not to mention low visibility due to frequent blizzards. It would test them considerably but the Sargent Major felt they were ready, even Alex.

Even though he was certain of the team, Gabe was not looking forward to this mission. His wounds, even though now healed, still had left him tender on his left side and he was concerned it might compromise his aiming skills. He had practised in the armoury and it had hurt to raise his gun arm a little, just another sign he was getting too old for this shit.

Once they assembled Gabe explained what they were up against. None were thrilled with weather conditions but they didn't complain. He nodded, pleased. They dressed for the snowy hazard and Alex was surprised to see that Gabe had his armour adjusted. It was still bulky for the mission but still allowed him free movement, especially when bending and stretching. Not as much as Ava, but enough to make him feel comfortable, which was the entire point.

Once they were suited up they buckled themselves into the Mako and waited for the Perugia's pilot to release the hatch. They only waited a minute before it was released and they descended onto the frostbitten planet.

“Fuck it’s cold!” Alex complained as he shifted in his seat. Even though their suits had warming insulation, it was hard not to feel the bite in the air.

“This is going to be a bitch of a mission, I can feel it,” Ava added irritably. Baker drove them toward their co-ordinates given by the captain, skilfully air lifting the Mako above huge gaps and chasms, avoiding most of the loose surface rocks.

“Just focus on what needs to be done. Masters, get me a visual,” Gabe commanded. 

Ava nodded and checked out the periscope. “There’s too much snow going on for me to give an accurate figure, but I’m confidant there is a geth drop ship in the distance and something large about twenty clicks away. My guess is an armature or colossus.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Gabe hissed. “Alright Baker, got anything to add?”

“No, sorry sir,” the Corporal replied.

“Fine get us a bit closer and – ” Gabe was interrupted by a loud, primal noise from outside the Mako. Then he gripped his seat when the Mako shuddered violently.

“What the hell was _that_?!” Adrian swore up, thankful he was strapped into his seat. 

Ava wasn’t so lucky. She had been thrown across the small space and landed head first on the floor. She groaned and picked herself up, demanding, “Baker, what the hell!”

“I’m sorry guys, but you’re not going to believe this…” Bakers voice was full of fear. That in itself was enough for them to put them on edge. Ava picked herself up and grabbed the periscope, swearing viciously. 

“What?!” Gabe demanded. 

“I think there’s a, a th…thresher maw outside,” Ava stammered.

Gabe and Adrian turned white. Alex was the only one who didn’t know what they were talking about and so he had to ask, “What’s a thresher maw?”

“One bad ass mother fucker,” was Ava’s swift reply. “A giant fucking worm with mandibles of steel that can rip this tin can apart faster than you can blink.”

Alex’s eyes widened in fear. Ava saw it and kicked him in the shins. “Don’t even think about it. Get your shit together, Hayzel.”

He nodded, taking control of his fear with an iron grip. Gabe was impressed. “Baker, get us as far away from this thing as fast as possible.”

“Un.. understood sir.” The Mako took another hit as the maw dived under the snow and gave chase. Baker swerved and braked to try to shake it but the maw wasn’t about to let them go. It rose up out from the snow and shrieked, spitting acid, which ate away at the side of the Mako and sent it sailing through the air. 

Ava cried out as she was thrown out of the hole. “ _Godammit! _” Gabe exclaimed, struggling with his buckle restraints. When Baker had full control again he turned the guns around and fired at the maw. Gabe got himself free and turned to Adrian and Alex. “Stay here and protect Baker as best you can.” Adrian nodded, unbuckling his belt also and watched as Gabe leapt out of the hole and sprinted after Ava.__

__The maw shrieked again and spat acid at the Mako, crying out in pain as beams hit the creature in the side. Baker swore furiously as he saw the maw dive underground again. He watched on with unease as Gabe tried to get Ava on her feet, she’d taken a puncture in her suit._ _

__They had almost reached the Mako when the maw rose up again. The sheer force of its frame sent them both sailing into the side of the vehicle and they all heard Ava scream in pain over the comms. Alex ran to the hole and saw that she had dislocated her shoulder and Gabe had landed on her leg, spraining it._ _

__Alex watched in horror as the maw reared up and prepared to spit directly at them again. “Shit, get on those friggin’ guns and blow this piece of shit apart, man! They’re not going to make it!” Alex screamed at Adrian._ _

__But the marine was already a step ahead of him. Right before the maw unleashed its toxic spit, Adrian lined up the perfect shot when it opened its great jaws he launched a flurry of grenades into its mouth. The thresher maw began to choke on its spit, wriggling frantically before it blew up, spraying them all with its innards._ _

__Even as the land rover sped away to avoid being crushed, Alex jumped out and sprinted to help Gabe up, then Ava, careful of her shoulder and leg. She winced but shrugged him off. “Get back to your seat, that was just preliminaries. _Fuck!_ ” _ _

__Alex stared at her, wondering how she could still focus on the mission, she was obviously in excruciating pain. Baker turned about once they were clear and Adrian poked his head out the hatch. He looked at Ava with equal parts concern and awe, saying, “You still alive, merc?”_ _

__She looked up at him and for the first time her smile was genuine. “You took your sweet time, Smith.”_ _

__He grinned at her, knowing this was her way of saying thank you. “You’re welcome.”_ _

__The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before exchanging respectful nods and Gabe sensed this had just become a turning point for them. They now respected each other, and not a moment too soon. “Alright Baker, get us to that geth encampment,” Gabe ordered as he waited for Alex and Ava to climb inside the rover._ _

__He smiled almost affectionately as Ava shouldered him in the side with her good arm when he tried to assist her inside. “I'm f.. fin.. _fine_ , pretty b.. boy. _Fuck!_ ”_ _

__Once Baker had gotten them close enough, Adrian confirmed what Ava had told them earlier; a geth drop ship and a colossus. “And that’s not all, sir. A Prime is circling the encampment, escorted by rocket and shock troopers and sniper nests. Looks like we’re getting close to their main base.”_ _

__Gabe grimaced. With Ava out of commission he now had to rely on Alex for biotic back-up. He hoped the kid absorbed her teachings like a sponge. “Right, Baker get us up on that hill over there and I’ll take out those snipers. Hayzel, you and Smith play chicken with those troopers. Pick them off and draw that Prime out. Then we should be able to focus on that damn colossus. Move out!” He turned to Ava, “You sit this one out, no heroics, Masters. That’s an _order_.”_ _

__Ava rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, boss-man.” Then she turned to Baker mischievously. “You'll have to keep me company then, lover.” Gabe shook his head and Baker went beet red._ _

__Adrian and Alex went in the other direction. Adrian signaled that he was going to take the rocket troopers and Alex was to take the shock troopers. Immediately Adrian jumped into the action. He pulled out his assault rifle and took down two rocket troopers by surprise, taking the heat so Alex could pick off the stragglers without too much interference._ _

__He was determined to prove his worth this time around. With renewed confidence he pulled two shock troopers together, aiming his Predator at their heads, blowing them apart with a few precise shots. He ducked and ran for cover as others realised that there was now two threats._ _

__In the distance Gabe lined up two snipers with his Widow, taking out two snipers with the one shot. Quickly he re-focused on the next nest and made a mess of them as well._ _

__The Prime’s escorts now destroyed, Adrian and Alex worked together to draw it out into the open where Gabe had a clear shot. Adrian pressed a button on his mike. “Just a second and I’ll switch ammo. I’ll tear down its shields.” He took aim and fired a controlled burst, pushing the Prime backwards with each hit. It made a buzzing noise as it returned fire, forcing Adrian to fall back and take cover. “Shit! My rifle is jammed! Alex bring down the rest of its shields so Jackson can blow it sky high.”_ _

__“My fucking pleasure!” Alex snarled dangerously. He reloaded his Predator and called out, “Over here you metal bitch!” He fired at its head and the Prime whirled around and focused on him. As soon as it fired, Alex dodged and threw a barrage of warp balls at it._ _

__It fell back as its shields fizzled out and Gabe said over the mike, “Good job kid,” before blowing it apart with two shots, debris exploding in every direction. “Get to that colossus and find cover, I will meet you as soon as possible.”_ _

__“Understood,” Adrian and Alex said in unison. The hustled up to the main entrance of the geth base and took cover as instructed. Within a few minutes Gabe had joined them and switched to his M-5 Phalanx._ _

__“Alright, now the last time we tried to take down something this size we needed the Mako. Let’s use those turrets up there and see if we can’t do this solo.” He turned to Alex. “You’re going to get up there and fire those turrets while Smith and I keep it occupied. Alright?”_ _

__Alex nodded and stealthed his way around wires and crates and waited for Gabe and Adrian to begin the assault before he could go any further without detection. He didn’t wait long._ _

__Adrian opened fire with his new ammunition while Gabe tapped a few buttons on his omni-tool and a burst of energy attacked the colossus’ shields, it immediately fired in the direction of the sabotage, clambering faster towards them._ _

__Alex took advantage of the distraction and leapt gracefully onto a ladder and bolted up it. When he reached the top he checked for any resistance; a single geth shocker trooper guarding the turret. “Hope you can fly bitch.” He grinned as he biotically threw the trooper off the platform, blowing it up with a warp mid flight. What was left exploded on the ground and he jumped into the seat of the turret._ _

__He had no idea what he was doing so he flicked a whole bunch of buttons and switches, praying for the best. Eventually he found out how to turn it and just as he was about to fire on the colossus he saw that the drop ship had flown closer to them and was releasing more geth. “You sneaky, relentless sons of bitches! _Eat this!_ ” _ _

__He turned the turret around and fired on the drop ship. Four shots later it came crashing down. As it fell from the sky it landed on top of the colossus and Alex threw his fist in the air triumphantly. “Fuck yeah!” Over the mike he said jubilantly, “Did you all _see_ that shit?! Fucking awesome!”_ _

__Adrian and Gabe just stared at him, shaking their heads in disbelief. Gabe and Adrian made sure that was the last of them before heading over to the main console. Gabe uploaded the information and radioed to Baker for a pick up. When he arrived, Ava said, “I heard most of that. You did good kid.”_ _

__Alex thrust his chest out and smiled. “That’s high praise, especially coming from you.”_ _

__“Don’t let it go to your head. One fluke doesn’t make up for skill.” She turned to Gabe, “Can we get the hell of this frozen rock? I need a goddamn drink.”_ _


	10. Rayingri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ava is rushed to the med bay and out of commission for a while. Gabe, Adrian and Alex find something else to do before the next mission is handed out.

# Chapter Seven, Rayingri

The ship turned about and picked up the Mako and the squad within. While Gabe, Adrian and Alex dealt with the geth, Baker popped Ava's shoulder back into place, smiling affectionately at her obscene verbal diarrhoea while he did so. As soon as the vehicle was safely tucked into the garage the team emerged and stowed their gear. A medical team was standing by with a stretcher prepped for Ava, but the stubborn mercenary told them to shove off - she’d get to the med may on her own or not at all. Doctor Yuri, who was with the medical team stared down at her, the corner of his lips twitching as he fought to keep his grin at bay. So _this_ was the infamous mercenary the crew had been talking about all this time.

Adrian crossed his arms and grinned lopsidedly, shaking his head while Alex rolled his eyes but grinned as well, same old Ava. Gabe, however, had no such reservations. He put his arm around her waist and tried assisting her to walk. The mercenary glared at him fiercely and pushed him away, only to fall helplessly against the wall as white hot pain shot up her leg. She hissed and when Gabe put his arm around her again, she didn't fight him. _She must be in agony if she's letting me help_ , he thought as they shuffled towards the med-bay, the med team hurrying ahead to organise a bed for her.

“Thanks, Gabe,” she said softly as he all but picked her up and lay her on the bed, surprising him further. The Sargent Major nodded his acknowledgement and waited to the side while Yuri examined her injuries. After a few minutes he heard her cry out, then swear in a most un-lady like manner. 

“Rest is what's required, no strenuous activities, at all. No boxing, kicking or biotics until that shoulder and leg have had time to heal. I'll release you with crutches, Miss Masters. I expect that you will make sure she does that.” Yuri explained, glancing between Gabe and Ava, who did not look happy about it.

“I don't need - ” Ava started to argue.

“I will, doc. No strenuous activity. How long will she be out of commission?” Gabe nodded, interrupting her.

Doctor Yuri smiled at his patient's irate glare, then turned back to Gabe. “At least a week with the shoulder. I suspect she's fractured the leg rather than sprained it, but provided she keeps pressure off it for a while, it should heal within a few weeks. What happened down there?” Doctor Yuri asked, leaning on the side of his desk while he made a few notes.

Gabe glanced at Ava, who raised her eyebrow and shrugged. Gabe explained what went down, omitting the fact that he’d been the one who landed on her leg. The doctor just shook his head in amazement, and released Ava with a reprimanding glance. “ _Rest_ , Miss Masters.”

Ava rolled her eyes and mumbled something unintelligent as she tried out the crutches, stumbling a few times, but remained determined. Yuri smiled at her tenacity and sent Gabe a _she's going to be trouble_ glance. Gabe exhaled in agreement and walked alongside, ready to catch her if she fell. They managed to make it out of the med bay and halfway down the corridor before he said quietly, “Listen Ava, I…”

Ava stopped to face him, frowning. “You better not be apologising, Jackson. Those are the perks to being the boss.”

Gabe shook his head, completely serious. “No, I need to say this. I should’ve known about the maw. As team leader, I’m supposed to know everything about the mission, the planetary terrain and native life forms. But I got, distracted.” They stopped to rest for a moment and he added quietly, “And maybe you were right about Alex.”

Ava watched him intently, wanting to get mad at him, but found she couldn't – and that she didn't _want_ to. She opened her mouth to say something sarcastic then closed it. Instead, she nodded and outstretched her leg gently, hissing in pain before trying her best to relax. She eased down onto a seat nearby, wincing a little, saying, “We were both right. Taking Alex in the first place was stupid, raw as he was.” She went quiet for a minute and looked away absently. “Now that I’ve trained him, I think he’ll do fine, at least until we’ve finished the mission.” She began to massage her thigh muscle, wincing again. 

Gabe smiled. This was as close to forgiveness he was going to get with her. He'd take it. “You did a kick ass job in that department, by the way. Anyone would think you've done this before.” 

She chuckled. em>Still fishing, smart, Jackson. “I think it was more luck he responded to my style of, what did you call it? Teaching?”

Gabe chuckled too. “Well if he hadn't, our little stowaway would be dead by now, so I guess the results speak for themselves, wouldn't you say?”

She was quiet for a time, and allowed herself a small smile of pride. She did do a good job. “As for the Thresher cock-up, no one could’ve foreseen it attacking us. Shit happens, it’s just that simple.” She was ready to walk again so she playfully punched his shoulder. “Now, are you just gonna stand there? Or you wanna help me to the mess where a girl can get a stiff drink?”

Gabe shook his head and chuckled. “I don't think they serve alcohol in the mess, but okay, Masters. I can do that.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “What kind of a shitty ship is this, anyway?”

Gabe helped her into a seat and laughed out loud. “An Alliance vessel, merc. What did you expect? A fully stocked bar?”

She rested her crutches off to the side and rolled her eyes. As they drank, Gabe asked Ava about her past, where she’d learned her biotic abilities and found that she was very secretive. “Oh you know,” she said vaguely. “They just popped up one day, and decided to wreak havoc with my body, like puberty.” They both laughed. Out of curiosity rather than comradery, Ava asked about Gabe and after a few more drinks, Gabe was a lot more forthcoming with details, if only with the present rather than the past. He explained about his daughter and his hopes of retiring soon.

They talked a little more and even breached the subject of her conquests among the crew. Ava was much more enthusiastic about this topic. “Baker was by far the most eager to please. Johnson was like a jack hammer in the sack, and Sergei...” She licked her lips as she recalled a very fresh memory and grinned. Gabe found himself half disgusted, half impressed. “Let's just say a girl could warm herself on cold nights with memories alone.” After a while, Gabe got up and left, leaving Ava by herself.

* * *

Almost a week later Ava was down in the mess, frustrated immensely that she had been unable to do anything physical. Her shoulder had healed and her leg was almost there. She had been sitting alone drinking and eating for the last twenty minutes. Ready to move again, Ava downed the last of her drink and looked around the room. There weren’t too many other crew members here but she did notice a red-haired guy from the engineering deck sitting two rows in front of her. She wracked her brain trying to think of his name. What was it? Corey? Craig? No, Ken. Yes it was Ken, with the funny accent. _He’s cute_ , she mused, _especially when he’s nervous_! She watched on as he mumbled something incoherently to himself before downing two more glasses.

Ava got to her feet and smiled as she joined him. “Hey, are you alright?” 

Ken looked up at her and sighed. “No, not really. I’m an idiot.”

Ava chuckled. “Is that so? Why are you an idiot?”

“Because I’m pining over someone who won’t think of me more than a friend.” Ken put his head in his hands. “Right now she’s dating this muscled head whose ego is bigger than this ship. I just don’t know what she sees in him.”

Ava listened as he droned on and on about this woman he was obviously in love with and thought about walking away, even why in the hell she’d bothered to ask, but there was something about his accent that she found irresistibly sexy. She realised how long it had been since she’d experienced sexy - weeks. Ignoring the doctor’s instructions she grinned. She decided she was going to do herself and Ken a huge favour.

Ava put her hand over his and looked into his eyes. Ken looked up from his reverie, startled. When he realised how intense her stare was, he found himself lost in her gaze. All thoughts of Gabby just slipped away…

“Ken, this woman you want, she’s the idiot. If she can’t see what a great guy you are then that’s her bad luck. You need to focus on something else, or,” she began stroking his wrist seductively, “Someone else.”

Ken’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he realised what her intentions were, and that he was being seduced by a gorgeous woman. Stupidly he found himself asking why. “Because,” Ava said mischievously, “You need consoling and I’m a nice person.”

He smiled nervously. “Since you put it that way, su.. sure, why not?” Ava fought back a laugh and hoped she wouldn’t regret this later, but rest assured, however, an hour and a half later she could safely say that she most certainly did not regret a thing!

* * *

Gabe was in his room and started his report for Hackett, which he’d submit in the morning. He noticed that he had unread messages from Sophie, telling him how Lana was doing with her education, and that the Quarian, Lia’Vael, was now quite friendly with his girls. Lana had started actually speaking to the Quarian, which made Gabe happy, but at the same time he regretted not being there for her, hating how much he was missing. _Won't be long, baby_.

But once this mission was complete, everything would be different, he’d request a posting closer to home for starters. He’d already missed out on too much of Lana growing up. When he’d finished reading the messages, he decided to do some hard research on the last planet, Rayingri, so that they’d avoid any repeats of last week, even though they still had a second week to get there. But whether it was frustration or fatigue, Gabe just couldn’t concentrate, so he decided to hit the sack and pick up where he'd left off tomorrow.

* * *

Adrian was in engineering, chatting about mechanics with Baker. The two of them had a lot in common, and the young Corporal learned a lot from his superior. Adrian was on his way out and went to check on Alex before going up to his quarters to call Kiah. “Hey kid, how's things?”

Alex beamed up at him. It was no secret that the two of them were getting closer by the day. Adrian had shared a few tips and tricks with his pistol, even taken him to the firing range a few times. “'Sup, Adrian? All good down here, man. You hanging out with Baker again?”

Adrian smiled and nodded, leaning against the cot bunk with one tanned arm. “Yeah, he's a champ. I'm going back upstairs to chat with Kiah in a minute. Do you have anyone you want to call kid?” 

“Nope. No one,” Alex answered, shaking his head.

Adrian thought for a moment, maybe it was time. “Come with me Alex.”

Hands in pockets, Alex followed him up to his quarters where Adrian put through the call. When he saw Kiah’s face, he smiled. “Hello, love. How are you?”

Kiah’s face lit up. “Adrian! Oh, it’s so good to hear from you! I’ve been good honey. Everything’s been great here, Are you coming back soon?”

“Not yet, but soon. Listen, I’ve got someone here who I think would like to talk to you,” Adrian said with a knowing grin as he got up and beckoned for Alex to come over.

When Kiah saw him, she beamed. ”Alex! Oh my god! Look at you! You’ve grown, wow. Look at those _muscles!_ How are you?”

Alex blushed a little, but the smile was genuine. He looked up self-consciously at Adrian, before looking back and telling Kiah about everything that had happened to him over the last couple of months. Adrian walked over and leaned against the wall, letting the kid have as much time as he needed. He’d grown quite fond of Alex over the last few months, and knew that Kiah had always thought highly of him. 

Over the next hour and a half, Alex had explained every detail of the missions he’d been on, even saying that Gabe getting shot had been his fault. Kiah neither agreed nor disagreed with Alex, saying only that what’s done is done, and now there’s only the future. He'd been highly animated when he started on his training with Ava. Kiah smiled knowingly. “So that's what's changed. You're so much more happy now, inside and out. It shows, Alex.” Alex thought about it for a second, smiling when he realised she was right. They chatted a bit more before saying goodbye and he thanked Adrian as he left. Adrian sat back down and smiled as Kiah talked to him about Alex and how everything had been for her.

* * *

The next morning, Gabe filed his report with Admiral Hackett and went down to see Alex to help him with his endurance and armour. Within an hour, the two of them had customised his armour so much that Alex now had almost as much range of movement as Ava. Alex wanted to wear less, but Gabe told him that until he was more adept and experienced in battle that he was stuck with it.

As it was, Alex had a chest plate, leg armour on his thighs and shins, and gauntlets on his hands. They’d removed the shoulder and knee pads, but done it in a way that they could easily be reattached in extreme weather conditions.

Over the next two weeks Ava continued to train him, even though she couldn’t do anything physical herself, she gave Alex exercises to do, and at Gabe’s suggestion, Alex had started training in his armour, which Ava though was a fantastic idea. 

Her shoulder was completely healed, now only feeling tight when she moved it certain ways. She could also walk somewhat better as well, without having crutches or people helping her. When she found herself alone in the gym one day after training Alex, she decided to try and do some light work, punching at the bag and throwing a few light kicks. Her leg hurt after a short while, and she turned to see Gabe watching her.

Ava thought he was going to hit the roof, but was surprised when he walked over. “Wrap it, your knee. Wrap it up firmly but not tight so that it provides support without restricting movement,” he suggested, handing her a bandage. Ava nodded and took it from him, doing as he said. Then he held the bag for her as she tried again, pleasantly surprised when she felt only a little pain. After a few more rounds, Gabe let go of the bag. “When you not doing this, unwrap it so your knee doesn’t become dependent on the support.”

Ava nodded. “Thanks.” Gabe merely nodded and turned to leave. “How do you know about that, pretty boy?”

Gabe stopped and turned his head slightly. “I wasn’t always a marine,” was all he said, before he walked out. Ava went back to the bag and smirked. So he had a past after all…

* * *

Soon the time came for them to go planet side again, and Ava was back to her old self, walking normally and kicking the shit out of the bag, much to everyone’s delight. Anja came down and briefed them all on the situation.

“We’ve had reports that the geth have taken over a research facility on the planet. We need to find out why and what they wanted this particular place for. Good luck, and be careful,” she said, nodding to each of them. Then the quartet climbed inside the Mako, which was small before, but even more cramped now. They each sat in silence, wondering what they’d do once this last mission was complete. Before they knew it, the Mako was planet side, and Baker was taking them to where the outpost was located. As they neared their objective, both Baker and Gabe shifted in their seats.

“You thinking what I’m thinking, sir?” Baker asked, looking around.

The Sargent Major nodded. “Yeah. For something the geth took control of, this place is awfully quiet. Pull up right in front of the door Baker, just in case.”

“Roger that, sir,” Baker replied as he pulled in close, parking the Mako and dropping the rear hatch at the same time. Gabe was the first out, scanning the outlying cliffs for any sign of an ambush, but found nothing, so he beckoned for the others to follow. They approached the bunker, carefully watching for any signs of activity. The group glanced at one another, each of them feeling just as uneasy about the mission. Something felt very off. Gabe nodded to each of them, opening the door and descending into the bunker.

Once inside, the four of them proceeded carefully to the first door, stepping through with their weapons raised, only to find an empty room. Gabe felt even more apprehensive, and when he glanced at the others, he knew they felt the same. They moved through the complex and into the main chamber, which was infested with husks.

“ _Contact!_ ” Gabe shouted, raising his Phalanx and firing as he rolled behind cover. Adrian did the same, firing short bursts from his Vindicator and taking out two. Alex and Ava concentrated their biotics and tore three of the husks apart, leaving only three left. Gabe leaned out and fired three shots, grinning in satisfaction as his shot blew the heads apart on two of the husks. Gabe scanned the room for the third, wondering where it was. 

Adrian stepped out from his cover and raised his rifle, cautiously moving forward. That was when the husk leaped at him, screeching as it clawed at his helmet and chest. Adrian grabbed it by the neck, surprised by the amount of strength the creature had and tried desperately to pull it off him. But the husk held tight.

Gabe and Ava both saw the husk grab Adrian and tried to line up a shot, each of them cursing when the husk moved. Alex also aimed, but didn’t trust himself not to hit Adrian, so he moved a little closer, hoping to use his biotics. Adrian soon won the struggle, tearing the blasted creature from him and slamming it into the ground and bringing his foot down on the husks head.

“Goddamit! That was close,” he exclaimed, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.

“You okay, Smith?” Gabe asked, putting a hand on Adrian’s shoulder.

“I will be, sir, just need a second,” he answered. Gabe nodded and beckoned for the other two to follow him to the back of the room. No sooner had they opened the door, when they heard the door behind them open up. Ava turned and saw something huge walk through into the main chamber, so she tapped Gabe shoulder frantically. Gabe and Alex turned just in time to see Adrian get launched against the wall.

“Fuck!” Adrian cried, as he was slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch. When he didn’t move, they feared the worst, but then the Staff Sargent sat up and fired with his Vindicator at the huge geth lumbering towards him. He felt fear grip him, thinking this was the end when he saw the geth’s shields faltering, so he turned his head slightly and was relieved to see Gabe and Alex moving towards him while Ava fired both Tempests at the machine, drawing its attention away from him.

“Adrian! Where’re you hit?” Alex asked in a rush as he skidded beside him.

“Nowhere. But when I hit the wall, I think I broke my arm,” he replied, indicating his left arm. By then, Gabe had reached the two men and saw that Adrian's arm was indeed broken. His gauntlet was shattered, and even through the blood covering the Staff Sargent's arm, Gabe could see part of the bone.

“Guys, get him out of there!” Ava shouted as more geth came at them. Gabe motioned at Alex and together they got Adrian to his feet, crying out painfully as his arm brushed against the wall. They speedily made their way to where Ava was providing cover and stepped through the door, sealing it behind them.

Gabe set Adrian down against the wall, away from the door, just in case and applied what little medi-gel he could. “Right, the mission’s FUBAR, so what do we do from here?” Adrian asked, wincing again.

Gabe looked from him to the other two, who were looking at him. “We hold this position and draw them in.”

“WHAT?! Are you frigging _crazy?_ ” Alex exclaimed.

“Hayzel, can it. Pretty boy's having an epiphany,” Ava said, already having an idea of what Gabe was planning. When Alex didn’t respond, she said more forcefully, “Calm down.”

Alex looked at her with a flustered glance and then back at Gabe, exhaling over the comms. “Okay. I’m okay,” he said, taking a few deep breaths.

Gabe got to his feet and patted Alex’s shoulder. “The door and this hallway will act as a bottle neck, so only a few of them will be able to get in at once. And I’m pretty sure those big ones are Destroyers, so when two of them try to get in, they’ll block it off from the rest.”

Alex nodded as his brain processed this information. “Alright, it’s a good plan.”

Gabe shook his head. “No, it’s a risky plan, but it’s all we’ve got. If this is our last stand, I say we take as many of those fuckers with us as possible.”

Ava nodded, all business. Alex nodded too, even though he was terrified. Then they heard banging on the door as the geth tried to force their way in. It wouldn’t be long before they succeeded, so the three of them got into position on either side of the hallway – Gabe and Alex on the left and Ava covering the right. Within minutes, the geth had broken through, firing on the three of them but hitting only the wall. Gabe nodded, and he and Ava leaned out and returned fire, then swiveled back as Alex fired a third lethal burst, eliminating three geth troopers with their first barrage. Gabe spotted two snipers behind the two destroyers and unslung his Widow.

“I need covering fire for a few seconds,” he told the others. Ava nodded and fired again, Alex doing the same a second later. The destroyers aimed and fired at them, so Gabe leaned out, acquiring his target instantly and fired, dropping one sniper. He leaned back in and reloaded, before leaning out again and dropping the second. Now only the destroyers remained, and they lumbered menacingly towards the doorway.

Alex saw them coming, and part of him wanted to run, but when Ava and Gabe stood their ground, he mustered up every ounce of courage he had and stood with them. He glanced over at Adrian and saw him nod, which only reinforced his determination. Then he heard a door to his left open, and saw four more husks coming at them. He heard Gabe yell something, but Alex wasn’t listening. Instead he was summoning everything he had, he was not going anywhere, and he would not let these things kill his friends. He roared and unleashed a massive biotic blast, which lifted the husks in the air and threw them back. All four of them splattered when they hit the far wall, leaving only a bluish-grey smear on the wall.

Gabe saw what Alex did, and sat there stunned for a few seconds. Ava nodded with curt respect, before firing on the two destroyers again. Alex turned around and saw Gabe looking at him and nodded. Gabe returned the gesture and aided Ava, as the kid moved back to them. Together they fired on the two monstrous geth, taking down their shields and destroying one. The other still kept coming, but when Gabe went to fire, his weapons clicked empty. “Shit! I’m out!”

Ava swore. “Me too! Alex?”

Alex shook his head. “I got nothing,” he said, as he got ready to stand. But then the giant geth was forced back by an impact to its chest. It recovered quickly and resumed its approach. The three of them looked behind them and saw that Adrian had crawled over to the centre of the hallway and fired his Carnage ability. 

He roared in pain again as he raised his broken arm and activated the power on his omni-tool once more. The attack impacted the geth again, slamming into its chest and opening up the armour plating. Gabe took the chance to Sabotage its weapon, while Alex lifted the machine in the air. Ava used her biotics to charge it, slamming the destroyer back into the other room. They heard it collide with something, and a few seconds later, it exploded.

They all rushed to Adrian’s side and helped him up. He was extremely pale, and Alex feared the worst. He tried hard to hold them back, but tears started streaming down his face. “Hey kid. You did good. _Real_ good, Alex.” Adrian said, putting his hand on Alex’s shoulder. The young biotic nodded, wanting to speak but unable to find words.

“Come on guys, we need to get him out of here. Fast,” Gabe insisted, getting on one side of Adrian while Ava got on the other. “Alex, you’re on point. Anything comes at us, you take care of them.”

Alex nodded and wiped his face. “No problem.”

They moved quickly back through the facility, Alex leading them, checking every room before getting them to follow him. As they got closer to entrance, Gabe keyed his mike. “Baker! We need the rear hatch open now! Adrian’s injured, he’s not doing too well.”

“Understood! But you better hurry, geth drop ship inbound!” was the reply. Gabe swore and glanced at Ava, who swore as well. Alex opened the door and ushered them into the Mako. They set Adrian down, and saw that his eyes were closed.

Alex saw it as well and panicked. “Is he… Is he..?” he said, trying to speak the words.

Gabe walked over to him. ”Alex... Alex! He’s alive, okay? He’s alive. Just unconscious. When he used his ability down there, he fought through a hell of a lot of pain. He’s okay, but we need to get out of here now, so mount the cannon and deal with that ship.”

Alex nodded, and got on the gun, firing as the ship approached. The rounds impacted, but had little effect on the shields, though Alex kept firing. Baker closed the rear hatch and started to drive, but the ship began dropping troops all around them. There were only seven, but three of those were rocket troopers, so Gabe jumped on the machine gun and fired on them while Alex kept his fire on the ship. After a minute or so, the ship left, enabling Alex to refocus his fire on the troops, killing the sniper and shock trooper together. Gabe had managed to kill two of the rocket troopers, but the third was trying to flank them, along with three geth troopers.

“Hang on to something!” Baker shouted, slamming the Mako into reverse. The engine roared as he gunned the accelerator, making the vehicle lurch backwards. The rear of the Mako slammed into the four geth, crushing them between the side of the bunker and the vehicle.

“Take that you mothers!” Baker yelled, earning cheers from Ava, Gabe and Alex. Within minutes they were back on board the Perugia, and Adrian was taken to the med-bay. The three of them went up and waited until the doc came out. They didn’t have to wait long.

“He’s sedated, but stable, and we’ve reset the bone. He’ll be up and around in no time, but he won’t be holding his assault rifle for at least a month. He’ll have one hell of a scar where the bone pierced the skin, but other than that, he’ll be fine,” Doctor Yuri explained. Gabe, Ava and Alex all breathed a sigh of relief, and waited with him for a while longer.

“We should tell Kiah, Gabe – sir.” Alex said, staring at Adrian. 

“That's a good idea, Alex.” He clapped his shoulder tightly. “Very thoughtful of you. You want to make the call?”

Alex nodded. “I would, sir.”

“Dismissed,” Gabe nodded and Alex left abruptly. Ava hovered in the doorway. “You can leave as well, Masters.”

There was a long silence before she spoke, her voice uneven. “I think I'll stay, pretty boy. Go get a coffee, you look like shit.”

Gabe managed a small smile and thanked her as he spared Adrian one last sympathetic look before leaving to do just that. When he was out of earshot, Ava came to sit beside Adrian, taking his hand in her own and squeezed. Quietly she whispered, “You kicked ass, Smith.”


	11. Korek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian recovers from his injury and Gabe gets some unexpected news.

# Chapter Eleven, Korek

Adrian spent a few days in Doctor Yuri’s care. He had few visitors, at his request, and before long he was up and about, his arm in a sling for the following four weeks. The bulky marine made his way down to the mess and was met with applause. At first he was confused, then the cheers came and the crew raised their glasses. In the sea of people, Adrian watched as Alex scrambled on top of the tables in the back and whooped. “To the badass who fucked up the geth, Staff Sargent Smith!”

“ _To Staff Sargent Smith!_ ” They echoed, clinking their glasses together. 

Adrian’s face flushed and Gabe joined him, handing him a drink with a grin. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.” 

Adrian took it and returned the smile. “Thank you, sir. What’s all this about?”

Gabe took a sip of his drink as members of the crew smiled and began talking among themselves. “You’re a hell of a marine, Smith. Ava spread the word what you did, and well, this is the result.”

Adrian almost choked on his drink. “The _merc_ did this?”

Gabe chuckled. “Well, she told a couple of the boys in the gym, and Alex did the rest. You’ve generated a lot of respect among the crew.” Gabe and Adrian watched as a few of them were making their way over to the two, probably going to congratulate his success with the geth. “We all have, I suppose, but you more so. You're the very image of an Alliance soldier, Smith. Brave, courageous and loyal to a fault. There isn't a marine here who _wouldn't_ want to be you.”

Adrian flushed a little as a red-head from navigation approached them. He outstretched his hand and Adrian handed his drink to Gabe and shook it. “Private Ainsley, sir. Staff Sargent you’re an inspiration to us all! I’m astounded you took on ten of those ghastly machines, and with a broken arm!”

Adrian raised a queried eyebrow at his superior, who smirked knowingly, before looking back at the Private. “Er, it wasn’t that many but - ”

“Bullshit! More like _fifteen_ of the tin cans!” Alex laughed, slapping the marine on the back affectionately. “This dude's hardcore!”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed on the young biotic as he tried to keep a smirk at bay. He failed. “I might have known you’d be behind this, kid. Maybe we should be a bit more modest. I don’t think the Private here would believe - ”

“Are you _serious?!_ ” Private Ainsely gasped, clearly believing that, and more. 

Alex laughed and threw his arm around the young man and walked away, saying with a quick wink at Gabe and Adrian, “Oh yeah, man. He kicked the _shit_ out of that geth. Saved all our asses!”

“Wow!” Adrian and Gabe heard him gasp again, and Alex didn’t hesitate to embellish the details.

Adrian shook his head and leaned closer to Gabe. “Isn’t this supposed to be a private op for Admiral Hackett?”

Gabe sighed. “Yes, but there’s no holding him back now.” They shared a chuckle and continued sipping their drinks. 

Not long after that Ava sauntered into the room. “Either of you two going to get a lady a drink?”

They both looked her up and down and said at the same time, “You’re no lady, merc.”

All three of them burst out laughing. “Well screw you two! I got one already anyway.” She downed the liquid in one deft movement and punched Adrian in the shoulder.

“What was that for?!” Adrian cried. It was his sling arm too.

“That was for Rayingri. You nearly got yourself killed. It was incredibly stupid and reckless,” she replied. There was a brief silence before she added with a grin, “It’s exactly what I’d have done.”

“So you punch me in my wounded arm? What’s wrong with you, woman?” He muttered, only partially irritated. Ava laughed and snatched his drink, downing that one too before walking away, flicking her long braid over her shoulder. Adrian turned to Gabe, who was shaking his head and grinning from ear to ear. “She’s so bloody bizarre, don’t you think?”

Gabe stroked his chin thoughtfully, still grinning. “Oh I don’t know, Smith, I think she’s got style.”

Adrian rolled his eyes but ended up smiling. He cupped his good hand around his mouth and yelled, “Thanks for the party, merc!” Ava raised her hand in acknowledgment but proceeded to disappear into the crowd. 

As the night wore on, the captain even made an appearance. She congratulated Adrian on a job well done before snagging Gabe’s attention while he chatted with Sergei. When he saw the captain’s signal, Gabe excused himself and crossed the mess towards her. When he noticed the distressed look on her face, he was all business. “Captain, are you alright? You look pale.”

She grabbed his elbow and dragged him away from the jubilant noises of the mess and out into the corridor. “Jackson, Hackett is on in the comms room. He has an urgent message for you.” 

Gabe looked at her carefully, it must be big if she was delivering the news personally. A new development with the mission at last? Or perhaps he was going to finally disband the quartet now that the geth threat had fallen silent? He couldn’t explain it, but Gabe had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He nodded and followed her back to the comms room. She waited outside as he entered. When the doors opened, Gabe saw Admiral Hackett’s image over the three circular holograms. Straightening up, Gabe saluted respectfully. “Sir.”

The admiral saluted back, his face grim. “Sargent Major, I’m sorry to report that there has been an accident.”

The feeling in Gabe’s gut intensified and his heart began to beat faster as fear gripped him tight. “Sir?” he asked uncertainly, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Hackett leaned against his desk and stared the younger marine down. “Jackson I’m going to speak plain. Your daughter has been abducted, her carer, Sophie McGowen, has been murdered. A witness reported seeing members of the Blue Suns leaving your home at 08:00 hours this morning.” Hackett watched as Gabe’s face contorted with pain and grief, he knew what this meant. He allowed Gabe a moment to absorb this before continuing.

“C-Sec is looking into the matter as we speak. Jackson, I don’t want you doing anything rash.” His eyes narrowed acutely on Gabe, as if sensing that something rash would be inevitable.

The Sargent Major’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Several times he looked as thought he wanted to say something but stopped. He cracked his neck to the side, fighting to control his emotions. Minutes later he spoke, his voice quivering with barely concealed rage. “I can’t sit by and do nothing, Admiral, she’s my daughter!”

Hackett grimaced, nodded. “I understand son, but there is a procedure for these terrible things. Let C-Sec handle this.”

Gabe curled his fists beside him, a million thoughts flooding his brain. All he could see was his daughter’s face and how frightened she must be. He shook his head adamantly. “No, sir. I won’t do that. I know what these bastards are capable of, I’ll sort this out myself.”

Hackett watched him carefully for a long time before looking around, checking that he was alone. When he was sure, the admiral said quietly, “I would do the same damn thing. I’ve had no further reports nor anything to suggest this geth incursion is still operational, and I want you and the team to return to the Citadel for a debriefing. After you hand your report to me, look for Sergeant Masters, he’s leading the investigation.”

Gabe absorbed this quickly, already forming a plan. Those bastards would pay for Sophie’s murder, and he would exact payment personally. He nodded and saluted. “Thank you, sir. Jackson out.” He disconnected and all but ran out of the room, startling Anja, lost in thoughts he’d hoped he’d buried years ago.

It had been twelve years since Gabe had left Omega. Twelve years free of a childhood of crime, murder and deceit. A life that taught him the value of survival. He had been a member of the Blue Suns then, a stupid teenager determined to prove himself, not that he’d had much choice in the matter. Being an orphan in a place where the strong crushed the weak, he’d had to make some unsavory choices.

But he’d left that time and place long ago, or so he thought. As he was power walking, Gabe almost ran right into Adrian, giving Anja a moment to catch up. “Woah, sir! Is everything alright?” As soon as he saw the expression on the captain and Gabe’s face he knew everything was definitely not alright.

Gabe said roughly, “I want you and Ava in the interrogation room as soon as possible. There has been a development in the mission.”

Adrian nodded and saluted with his good arm before turning to find them. Ten minutes later Anja, Adrian and Ava were sitting down, watching Gabe with concerned expressions as he paced the interrogation room, running agitated fingers through his now messed blonde ponytail. It was a while before Gabe could form a coherent word. “I’ve had some bad news,” he said slowly. “I have to sort it out as soon as we dock. Smith you will deliver our report to Hackett, I won’t be joining you.”

“Sir?” Adrian said with a frown, clearly curious. Anja scowled, cocking her head to the side, and Ava crossed her arms as she sat on the end of the table, arms folded with one leg crossed over her thigh as she listened attentively. 

Gabe sighed knowing they were not going to let him get away with such a weak explanation. He sat down and put his head in his hands, his emotions finally bubbling to the surface. “I… I have a… situation on the home front. My daughter has been... abducted, and her nanny killed.”

A horrified gasp escaped Anja’s lips. She immediately put a hand over his and squeezed. Not caring that Ava and Adrian were present, he squeezed back, his eyes glistening. “Yeah I know,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m literally all she has in this world and if they.. if those animals have… have...” His tone dropped into a viscous growl at the thought of what depths those low lives would sink to, especially considering how he left... Gabe hadn’t realised his fists were shaking until he felt Anja’s hand curl around his, pinning them against the interrogation table.

Adrian scowled as he clenched his fists and muttered quietly, “Son’s of bitches.” Ava said nothing, but continued to observe.

“I’m going to get her back, I don’t care what the cost is,” Gabe vowed, rising from his seat.

“I’m coming with you,” Adrian said without hesitation.

Gabe smiled faintly, touched. “No, this is my burden. Besides this act of insubordination will probably kill my career. I won’t take you down with me, you've got too much ahead of you.” Adrian was about to argue further but Gabe shook his head. “Forget it, Smith.”

“Who took her, Gabe?” Anja asked, prepping her omni tool, ready to scour her contacts for information.

He turned to her and said darkly, “The Blue Suns.” 

“Ah,” Anja replied with a disheartened sigh, as she let her omni tool arm fall to her side. She didn't know anyone who ran in those circles.

Ava un-crossed her arms and frowned. “Why would the Suns kidnap your kid? They only deal in firearms, prestige and revenue.” She looked up at Gabe thoughtfully, and then it dawned on her. “This is personal.”

Adrian’s eyes widened in surprise and swallowed nervously. “Of course it's personal, Masters, they _kidnapped my daughter!_ Try to keep up, would you?”

Ava ignored his outburst, nodding her head slowly, putting the pieces together. “Yes, it all fits. The way you fight, how you come to your conclusions, hell even how readily you accepted a contractor working along side you.” She leaned forward and eyeballed him. “You ran with them, didn’t you?”

Gabe recoiled sharply, incensed. “I’m not the only one with secrets, Masters. The officer in charge of this investigation goes by the name Masters, any relation? Your father perhaps?”

“No way! _Your_ dad's a cop?!” Alex exclaimed, seemingly out of nowhere. They all turned to see him poke his head out of the doorway, obviously he’d been eavesdropping on them. Adrian sighed and herded him in, rolling his eyes.

Anja, Alex and Adrian looked from Gabe to Ava incredulously. Ava pushed off the table and put her hand on her hip, saying coolly, “I didn’t know he was leading this case, but yeah, he’s my father. So what?”

Gabe took a deep breath and calmed down. “Look I don’t have the time to argue with you. I need your help.” When she just continued to watch him, waiting for an admission, he sighed and nodded, “I was part of the Blue Suns, but that was a lifetime ago. Satisfied?”

She nodded. “I knew it, I _knew_ something was off about you.” She brought up her omni tool and punched in a few numbers. “Ok, I’m going to see what dirt Pop has on this case and get back to you as soon as possible.” 

Gabe sighed with obvious relief. “Thank you, I would appreciate anything you could tell me about this investigation. I owe you one, Ava.” 

Ava glanced at him, nodding curtly and made the call.

* * *

The Perugia docked in the Citadel a week later, and Gabe was absolutely ropeable. He couldn’t get off the ship fast enough. 

Ava had managed to get a few crucial details from her father, including the whereabouts of the Suns’ hideout on the Citadel, the exact number of members in force and even extra back-up from the Citadel S.W.A.T teams, Gabe was impressed.

A tall, tanned man dressed in C-Sec blues, black shades and body armour approached them. Beside him, another tall but fairer man dressed in similar attire who’d opted for a brimmed hat rather than shades, greeted them at the docking bay. Ava pushed past Gabe and kissed the tanned man on the cheek. “Looking totally bad ass in those specs, Pop.” 

Erik removed the sunglasses with one hand and hugged her with the other smiling affectionately. “It’s good to see you too, sweetheart.” 

Gabe looked the Sargent up and down, curious to see the man who’d reared such a wild, rebellious woman, and lived. His life must have been pure hell during her adolescent years. Considering the circumstances, Gabe was surprised to find he was smiling a little at the thought. He outstretched his hand in greeting. “Sargent Masters, thank you for meeting with me.”

Erik pocketed the sunnies and shook Gabe’s hand, looking the marine up and down as well. “Sargent Erik Masters, Citadel Security. You must be Gabe Jackson.”

Gabe nodded and looked to the man beside the Sargent. Erik followed his gaze and motioned for the man to come closer. He quickly made the introductions. “This is my superior, Lieutenant Bailey.” 

Gabe nodded respectfully and they shook hands. The lieutenant’s handshake was firm, very authoritative. “Glad to meet you, son. There’s been a development.” Bailey smiled at Ava and allowed her to kiss his cheek affectionately. “Hey there, my sweet girl.”

Ava returned the smile while she looped her arms around his neck. “Hi, Uncle Bailey. Thank you for all your help.”

“You know I can’t deny you much,” he laughed. A moment later his face turned stern. “Besides these mongrels have taken low to a new level. I relish the chance to put them away.”

“If there’s anything left once _I’m_ done with them,” Gabe growled.

Erik and Bailey exchanged thoughtful looks before Bailey said seriously, “I understand there’s a lot at stake here, son, but you have to be careful, for your daughter’s sake.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Adrian said, emerging from the Perugia entrance. “But if it does, he won’t be alone.”

Gabe sighed. “I told you before, Smith – ”

“Shut up, Jackson. We’re coming with you whether you like it or not,” Ava added irritably, leaving Bailey and stood beside Adrian.

Gabe stared at her incredulously. “You too?”

Ava shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, well you two trigger happy jar heads will probably need saving at some point. Someone has to be around to save your asses.”

Bailey and Erik exchanged knowing looks and tried not to laugh.

Gabe didn’t know what to say, he was lost for words. If he stopped to think clearly, he probably would need their help by the end of it, since he didn’t really know what he was up against. He stared at them a moment longer in gratitude before nodding weakly.

“Hey, don’t forget about me, guys. I’m going too,” Alex said, pushing through the gap between Ava and Adrian. 

The C-Sec officers looked Alex up and down, then glanced at Ava for clarification. “Is this him?”

Ava nodded, refusing to meet Alex’s accusing glare. “Yeah. Are you taking him now then?” 

Erik got out his handcuffs. “Yep. Come on kid, Executor Palin wants a word with you, or two.” 

Sargent Masters approached Alex slowly. He didn’t flinch when Alex slapped his hands away, nor when Alex shoved him. Alex turned to Ava with a hurt expression. “I can’t believe you sold me out, Ava!”

Bailey moved forward to assist Erik. “She didn’t sell you out, kid. Admiral Hackett knew you were aboard the Perugia, and we were under direct orders to bring you in when Captain Simonovich docked.” Alex mumbled something under his breath and Bailey added, “Co-operate now and we can put in a good word for you.” 

Alex looked at Adrian who nodded. The young biotic hung his head and allowed Erik to put the cuffs on him.

“You’re better off now kid,” Ava said gently, her eyes softening. She looked up at her father and said quietly, “He’s a good kid, Pop. Take it easy on him.”

Erik watched his daughter and smiled. He realised she cared for the kid, probably the first person aside from her family and that krogan she always hung out with. He escorted Alex towards one of their parked hover cars.

Adrian watched him go and waved, feeling a pang of loss, realising he had also come to like him as well. Gabe, on the other hand, couldn’t let himself get distracted by anything at the moment. He turned to Bailey and said, “What’s this development, Lieutenant?”

Bailey nodded and replied, “We know where they’re holed up; a small warehouse on the Zakera Ward. I’ve got Special Response teams securing all exits, so they can’t escape. As far as we can tell, they don’t know we’re onto them.”

Bailey motioned to Ava, but kept talking to Gabe. “I was about to give the order to go in when Ava called me. When she explained the situation, I decided to let the Alliance take over.”

Adrian looked at Gabe for a moment. “The Alliance isn’t here in an ‘official’ capacity. No-one knows I’m here, it’s strictly off the books.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Then it’s a good thing you filed that report early then Smith, huh?”

Bailey shrugged his shoulders. “We can work out the details once this is over, one way or another. How do you want to handle this, Jackson?”

“They’re after me, that’s why they took my little girl. I’ll go in first with these two. Kill anyone who gets past us,” Gabe said quietly.

Erik joined them then and said, “You must have done something pretty damn wild for the Blue Suns to lash out at you personally like this.”

As they neared the warehouse Erik put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. She put her hand over his and smiled before following them in.

Gabe drew his Phalanx, concealed in his jacket, as they neared the door, noticing Adrian and Ava already had their weapons drawn, another slide courtesy of the Sargent and Lieutenant. 

Adrian nodded as Gabe opened the door and the three of them stepped through. The room was partially shrouded in darkness as the shipping containers were stacked at random heights, blocking out the light. What they could see from where they were was ten of the mercenaries standing in the center of the room, and Gabe guessed they’d have snipers posted in high positions. Probably on the crates, against the walls, he thought. He looked around the room, looking for any indication of just how many there were, cursing when he realised there was no telling. Probably why they chose this place to hole up like rats. Then he saw her.

Lana was sitting in the middle of the mercs with a gag in her mouth, her blonde ponytail messed up and her t-shirt had rips and tears in random places. She had tear stains and dirt on her face and looked absolutely terrified. When she saw Gabe, Lana tried to run forward, but one of the Suns grabbed her. “DADDY!” She screamed with a slur, holding out her arms to him. Gabe felt his heart catch in his throat.

Gabe reached out instinctively, wanting with all his fibre to hold her. For now all he had was words. “Shhh, it’s going to be alright, baby. Daddy’s here now,” he soothed. 

Adrian and Ava stood on either sides of him, weapons at the ready. “I got ten in front and three up high over here,” Adrian muttered.

“Same, with two more at one o’clock,” Ava added. Gabe’s jaw clenched as he conceded that they were clearly outnumbered. It didn’t matter though, as long as he could give Lana time to escape to Masters and Bailey, he’d stare down any and all odds. Gabe looked around and squinted as a lone Sun emerged from the darkness. Just when he had resigned himself to going down in a hail of bullets, Gabe froze as the new Sun removed their helmet.

“Will it, Gabriel? Will everything really be ok ever again?”

A chill of fear shot up Gabe’s spine, followed by a vicious hiss escaping his lips. “ _Korek!_ But I killed you!”

The batarian laughed bitterly, turning around so that the three of them could see him. “You tried, kid, and you failed.”

It dawned on him that his odds just got incredibly worse, but hell if he would go down without a fight. “Well, at least I managed to improve your looks before I left Omega,” Gabe sneered, indicating to the jagged scar that now ran across where Korek’s top left eye used to be.

Gabe smirked when the batarian’s smile vanished. He bared his razor teeth as he snarled, “You think this is funny? LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME!”

Gabe shrugged, feigning indifference, which only fueled Korek’s rage. If he knew Korek, and he did, very well, this was going to get ugly, fast. He had to maintain control, this guys was a psychopath.

Adrian took a slight step forward, but Gabe put his arm out in front of him, shaking his head before saying carefully, “What do you want from me, Korek?” Gabe tensed when Korek put his hands on Lana’s shoulders.

His voice was like velvet as he said, “I want you to suffer, you little shit. I want to cause you so much pain that you would wish you were dead, and then make you suffer some more.”

Gabe stared him down, resisting the urge to shoot him right now. “If that’s what you want, then here I am. Just leave my daughter out of it, Korek.” He lowered his pistol slightly.

“Are you _crazy?_ Gabe you can’t do this!” Adrian whispered vehemently, but Ava caught his attention in time to shake her head.

Korek threw his head back and cackled. “I’m sorry, kid, but that’s just not going to happen. I have plans for this one…” He stroked Lana’s hair like she was some kind of pet. Gabe was proud to see her yank her head away roughly, even in the midst of fear, she was defiant. Good girl. 

Korek, however, didn’t appreciate it. He grabbed a fistful of her ponytail, and pulled, hard. Lana cried out painfully, and Gabe growled. “Feisty thing, aren’t you, girl?”

The sight of it made Gabe’s heart stop. His blood was like ice as he said dangerously, “Korek, I’m warning you, if you touch her one more time I _will_ kill you.”

The batarian smirked. “Well, well. Who would’ve known that a punk like you would turn out to be such a doting father? It was tough tracking you down, twelve years is a long time, Gabriel, but I refused to give up.” He reached for his gun and added with an unhinged grin, “Don’t you want to know how I found you after all this time? How I was able to get in and steal your most prized possession?”

Gabe knew he was being baited, but the question had eaten away at him since he’d heard about the kidnapping. When he didn’t reply right away, Korek looked at one of the other Blue Suns members, indicating for them to remove their helmet.

Gabe gasped when he recognized her right away. “Fallon?! How _could_ you?!”

Fallon glared hatefully at him. “Yes, Gabe. Me. And to answer your question, it was quite easy. That old biddy didn’t put up much of a fight either. You should have left the kid with some sort of protection. What a joke!”

Gabe was in utter shock. He couldn’t believe that the mother of his child could sell them out like this, kill a helpless old woman for sport. “But to do something like this to our daughter, your own flesh and blood!”

“NO!” she shrieked. “That _retard_ is no child of mine!”

Gabe snapped back into reality and took a step forward, his gun arm twitching. The remaining sliver of sense he had left urged him to keep calm, he needed answers. He grit his teeth and demanded, “Why?”

Fallon laughed hysterically, obviously she was high. “Why? WHY?! You were never there, Gabe. It was always me who had to deal with her, me who had to listen to her speak. Hell, I wouldn’t even call it speaking.” She threw Lana a dirty look, and the little girl shrank back in fear and hurt.

Fallon was lost in memories past, her addiction clearly present. “I never wanted this life, Gabe. I was happy where I was, and no amount of you trying to play happy families could’ve change that. I understood that too late. You took me away from the only life I ever knew and left me for hours and hours to deal with it! So I did the smart thing and left for home. Back to Omega.”

“And then I hatched the plan to do this. I finally get my revenge after all these years,” Korek added, clearly pleased with how much pain reliving this memory was putting Gabe through.

“Vengeance? You killed my mother when I was fourteen. You lied and told me another rival gang was responsible!” Gabe shot back.

“Your mother was nothing but a whore. When I watched the life fade from her eyes, it was the most satisfying feeling in the world.” Korek rolled his eyes back in bliss. “I’m looking forward to feeling that again today as I watch you die as well.” Korek pressed his weapon to the back of Lana’s head.

Gabe did not hesitate this time, firing three rounds into the batarian’s chest plate. As he staggered back, the other Blue Suns opened fire as Gabe, Adrian and Ava dived for cover. 

The room erupted into chaos, guns firing in all directions. Adrian fired three shots from his pistol and killed two straggling Suns, booted an incoming third in the sternum and smacking a fourth with the butt of his weapon. Ava lifted up one with her biotics and threw him against the wall while she fired a three round burst into the head of another.

Gabe turned around to look for Lana and realised she was too far away. Fear gripped him as the thought of her getting caught in the crossfire entered his mind, but just as the fear began to settle he saw out of the corner of his eye, Alex, sprinting into the fray, a biotic aura crackling around him. 

He bowled seven of the Suns aside with his biotics and scooped Lana into his arms, holding her close to him as she thrashed wildly against him in panic. Gabe continued to watch, almost in slow motion, as Alex dove for cover next to a cluster of crates and erected a biotic shield around them with one arm, and firing at any of the Suns that got too close with his Predator in the other.

Gabe swallowed the lump in his throat, relieved that Alex was here, and returned his attention to the gunfire.

He was not surprised to see Korek had recovered from the impacts of the shots, the bastard simply refused to die. He began barking orders at the remaining Suns while taking cover behind a crate. Gabe aimed to fire when he saw a sniper lining up a shot on Adrian, so he shifted his aim and shot the sniper in the middle of his helmet. The mercenary fell to his death.

Adrian returned the favour, blowing away another sniper on Gabe’s left. The mercenary ignited as the incendiary bullets hit their mark. The two marines shared an appreciative nod and returned to the task at hand.

Ava, meanwhile, had forsaken cover and turned herself into a human battering ram. She biotically charged into the fray, slamming into Sun after Sun, snapping necks and breaking limbs in her wake. What she couldn’t reach with her body, her Tempests cut down ruthlessly. Looking up from breaking the arm of an unfortunate Sun, Ava noticed one of them running. Ava realised who it was and sprinted after her, using her biotics to launch herself in the air to cover the distance. She came down hard on Fallon, digging her thighs into the Suns’ ribs and threw her forward. Both women tumbled to the floor and grappled wildly.

Fallon struggled against her and when she saw Ava had the upper hand she spat spitefully, “Who are you, his latest screw?”

“No, just someone looking to kick your drug-fucked ass,” Ava replied viciously, dragging the Sun to her feet. Ava swore as Fallon took a lucky swing and hit her in the mouth. 

Ava tasted her own blood and when she heard Fallon cackle arrogantly, the mercenary brought her knee up into Fallon’s gut. She fell to the floor and coughed and Ava took a step back. Fallon glared up at her and Ava taunted her to get back up. 

Enraged, Fallon summoned the strength to rise and charged at Ava, swinging and kicking wildly. One of the blows caught the mercenary by surprise, knocking her back a step. She wiped the blood from her lip and looked at it. “That’s twice you hit me, bitch. I’m impressed.” Smirking, she threw Fallon against the wall with her biotics, pulled her back and threw her again. Fallon groaned and slumped to the floor in a heap. 

Ava reached down hauled the woman to her feet and wrapped her arm around her throat. “You disgust me. To do that to your own daughter? I should kill you right now, but I know someone who would like the pleasure more than me,” Ava whispered dangerously. Fallon’s eyes bulged in blatant fear and Ava sneered with satisfaction.

By the time Ava had Fallon restrained, Gabe and Adrian had killed or severely wounded the rest of the Suns, except for Korek, who was scrambling away now that his cannon fodder were retreating or dead. Gabe reefed the batarian by the back of his armour and threw his fist in Korek’s face. Once, twice, three times and then a fourth, his knuckles coated in the alien’s blood. “Rrraah! You piece of _shit_ , Korek!” Gabe kicked him in the gut and the batarian cried out, gripping his stomach and collapsing on the floor. Gabe paused for a moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat trickling down his brow.

Gabe looked down in satisfaction to see that two of the three shots he’d fired earlier had ripped through the chest plate, and that he was bleeding out, fast. Korek breathed loudly, his glare like acid as he looked up at Gabe. “Your father’s lucky he found you before we did.”

Gabe returned the glare. “What the hell are you talking about, scumbag?”

Korek coughed up more blood between mocking laughter. “Ha! You don’t even know, do you? Santiago was right to shoot him. The mad dog always had a soft spot for you, even though he was never around to show it.”

Gabe didn’t know who he was talking about, but before he could finish processing, Korek looked up and raised his pistol. Gabe’s instincts were sharp, his reaction sharper still. At the same time, the marine leaned in and snapped his wrist. Korek roared in pain. “You came after me, my family and killed members of the Alliance. I told you that if you touched my mother I’d kill you. I should’ve made sure of that twelve years ago. Today I won’t make that mistake.” Gabe stood over Korek’s body and fired three times into his head and another into his chest, just for good measure. For a moment, time stood eerily still. Flashes of his mother entered his mind, and Gabe allowed himself a small smile. She’d be at peace now, and he’d work on forgiving himself. For now, though, there was someone who needed him. 

Gabe holstered his weapon and turned to find his daughter. She was hiding behind Alex, and he could just make out her big blue eyes, wide with fear. When she spotted her father, Alex lowered the biotic field and allowed her to run to him.

“Daddy!” she cried, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing and hiccuping into his shoulder.

Gabe felt tears stream down his face as he picked her up, rubbing her back in slow, comforting circles. “It’s okay baby. I’m here. _Shhh_.” He looked down at Alex and hugged him as well. “Thanks Alex, just, thanks.” Alex nodded, happy he was able to help when it counted. He moved out of the way and stood beside Adrian, who finished making sure the stragglers were dead.

Gabe watched as Ava dragged Fallon towards them, and saw Erik and Bailey enter the room. “I want you to go over and stay with those men over there, I’ll be along in just a minute, sweetheart,” Gabe told her, putting her hand in Alex’s. 

Lana nodded and let Alex guide her to them. When he reached the C-Sec officers Alex hung his head and said, “I’m sorry I threw you out of the way, but I had to be there for him, he’s my friend.”

Lana batted her eyelashes at them. “He’s really nice sir’s, he kept me safe from the bad men.” 

Bailey and Erik exchanged amused glances and folded their arms. Bailey picked up Lana while Erik gave Alex a reprimanding look before leading them out.

Ava threw Fallon to the floor, and Gabe walked over to her. “You betrayed me, Fallon. Betrayed our, _my_ daughter. You put her in danger.”

“What do you want me to do, beg for mercy? Go to hell you prick,” Fallon spat.

Gabe stood and raised the Phalanx. “You first,” he replied with a snarl, starting to squeeze the trigger. 

Just then Adrian put his hand on the pistol, slowly but firmly pushing it down. “Gabe no. She’s not worth it.”

“Let go, Smith. You saw what she did,” Gabe growled, filled to the brim with hatred.

“Yes, I did, and I’m sure I’d feel the same way. But not in front of your little girl, there’s been enough death today.” Adrian insisted, trying desperately to reach him.

Gabe looked over at Lana numbly, letting Adrian take the pistol from him. Then the Special Response team moved in and took Fallon into custody. She cried out as they cuffed her roughly. Fallon glared at him, before glaring at Gabe, who took Lana from Bailey. When Lana saw these new faces looking at her, she turned her head the other way, embarrassed, which made Gabe and Adrian smile. 

Then Bailey and Erik, who had a firm grip on Alex walked over. “Is that really necessary?” Gabe said, motioning to Alex. Erik looked the kid up and down before shrugging. “I guess not. You did good kid.”

“So what happens now?” Adrian asked.

“Now we do the paperwork,” Erik said with a smile, signing to Lana.

When she saw the confused look on Adrian’s face, Ava explained. “Pop just told her she was a very brave little girl.”

Gabe looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t know you knew sign language.”

Ava shrugged. “When I was growing up, I knew plenty of kids who had all sorts of problems. It’s just one of the skills I picked up.”

Before he could say anything, Bailey spoke. “Now, I suggest you three take your leave, before the reporters show up. This little one’s been through enough today, without those buggers hassling her.”

“And what about Alex?” Ava asked with slight concern, surprising them all by calling him by his first name. 

Before Bailey could answer, his omni tool beeped, it was a message from Admiral Hackett. “Well, it looks like that’s out of our hands now. Seems the Alliance is pulling rank on this one,” he said, referring to Alex. “Hackett wants you on the Perugia at your earliest convenience. He wants to have a chat with you.”

Erik and Bailey looked at each other, grinning. “Palin’s going to have a fit!” 

Ava and Alex chuckled, while Adrian rolled his eyes. Gabe, still holding onto Lana asked, “But what about all this?” He was referring to the carnage around them.

Bailey looked back at him. “What about it? C-Sec was involved in a shoot-out with a suspected red sand smuggling ring. Well, that’s what the report will say.”

“Thank you,” Gabe said gratefully, shaking Bailey’s hand.

“Now get outta here before someone else decides to try and kill you. Again,” he said, smirking.

Erik escorted them out of the warehouse. “So what will you do now?” he asked Gabe.

Gabe looked at Lana, who looked back at him. “Now, I try and find a safe place for her.”

Erik nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think I might know of one,” he said, winking at Ava.


End file.
